CEO Bob Iger Plans To "Rebuild Disney," Admits Major Issues

More than a year after the firing of Bob Chapek, Disney CEO Bob Iger addressed problems the company is facing.

Disney CEO Bob Iger has been the subject of much criticism over the last several months, but the executive recently shared that he’s been dealing with a lot of issues in which he’s had to spend time correcting. Iger, who replaced former Disney CEO Bob Chapek last year, was named the CEO of Disney in 2005 and continued to serve with the company until retiring in 2021. After a short stint of retirement, Iger made his way back to the board and, eventually, reassumed the role of CEO after Chapek was fired.

Initially starting as a small animation studio producing the first-ever synchronized sound and color cartoon, Steamboat Willie (1928), featuring the beloved character Mickey Mouse, The Walt Disney Company has evolved into a multi-billion dollar multimedia powerhouse.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) marked Disney’s foray into feature-length animated films, setting a new standard for animation and storytelling. Over the decades, the company expanded its reach beyond animation, venturing into live-action films, television, theme parks, and media networks. Disney’s acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios in 2006, Marvel Entertainment in 2009, and Lucasfilm in 2012 further solidified its dominance in the entertainment industry, bringing characters like Woody and Buzz Lightyear, the Marvel superheroes, and Star Wars into the Disney fold.

Beyond its entertainment divisions, Disney has successfully entered the realm of theme park management. With iconic locations such as Disneyland in California, Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, and numerous others worldwide, the company provides immersive experiences for millions of visitors annually. The parks showcase Disney’s commitment to storytelling, innovation, and creating magical moments for guests of all ages.

However, despite its beloved IPs, Disney has been the subject of much scrutiny over the last few years. The company has been accused of turning “woke” and promoting political ideologies in its content, which has resulted in major box office blunders. Disney is in an ongoing battle with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis after the governor removed the company’s self-governing rights earlier this year and closed down the Reedy Creek Improvement District to make way for the Central Florida Oversight Tourism District.

Outside of politics, Disney has been blasted by fans of both the parks and entertainment. The company continued to rise prices for park tickets, all the while taking away beloved offerings. In entertainment, Disney has seen a mixture of successes at the box office, followed by immense failures. Under Iger’s watch, the company has had to lay off thousands of employees, and there are questions as to what might be next for Disney.

Now, the CEO has spoken, and dished on the firing of Bob Chapek. He shared that he “never second-guessed the decision to come back” and has been working to fix numerous issues.

“I knew that there were myriad challenges that I would face coming back,” Iger said at an employee town hall earlier this week. “I won’t say that it was easy, but I’ve never second-guessed the decision to come back, and being back still feels great.” He also went on to say that, “I had spent the year with the team fixing a lot of things … but I feel that we’ve just emerged from a period of a lot of fixing to one of building again, and I can tell you building is a lot more fun than fixing.”

The blame can’t fall squarely on the shoulders of Bob Chapek, but Iger is noting that many issues developed under his watch and that he has spent the last year attempting to “fix” them.

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