After a year back as CEO of the Walt Disney Company, Bob Iger has indeed seen how far from grace the brand has fallen, and the kid gloves are coming off.
Since the fall of the infamous Bob Chapek in 2022, Iger has been trying to keep the House of Mouse from collapsing. However, years of crumbling conditions at the Disney Parks, lackluster performance at the box office, and a grueling political blitzkrieg with Florida governor Ron DeSantis have made that easier said than done.
Recent coverage has reported that Iger seems to be finally waking up to the situation at hand, and heads are getting ready to roll after the Disney CEO vowed to pull the studio back toward its original storytelling goals. The question is, is he too late to save the ship from sinking?
Disney CEO Bob Iger Lays Down the Law
The phrase “they don’t make them like they used to” is a tired cliche, but it’s undoubtedly one that has applied to the Walt Disney Company for a few years. Many die-hard Disney fans might even suggest that 2018 was a peak year before the dramatic decline in 2019-2020 and that COVID-19 had nothing to do with it.
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A change in leadership led to a change in practices both in and out of the studio. One of the biggest criticisms facing the company today is that Disney has gone “woke” with the messages and theming of some of its recent films, such as Lightyear (2022) and Strange World (2022). Although it’s a bit of a cheap shot to join the cries of “go woke, go broke,” there is an element of truth to it.
In a report from CNBC, Iger stated,
“We have entertained with values and with having a positive impact on the world in many different ways. ‘Black Panther’ is a great example of that… I like being able to entertain if you can infuse it with positive messages and have a good impact on the world. Fantastic. But that should not be the objective. When I came back, what I have really tried to do is to return to our roots.”
Iger later went on to say,
“I’ve worked hard since I’ve been back to reminding the creative community who are our partners and our employees that that’s the objective… And I don’t really want to tolerate the opposite.”
While it’s incredibly easy to view this as a dollar short and a day late, Iger is essentially preparing to throw the gauntlet. While the Disney CEO has made some tone-deaf comments in the past, it feels like he’s finally stepping up after a season of flops.
This development comes right on the heels of the Frozen 4 tease where Iger not-so-subtly mentioned handing creative control to franchise creator Jennifer Lee. If Disney is serious about returning to its tried-and-true storytelling focus, a new order is on the rise, and it starts with letting the creatives take over again.
On a more hopeful note, Disney fans can take some solace in Iger’s thoughts on his current position. In a report from Variety, Iger stated at Disney’s town hall meeting,
“I knew that there were myriad challenges that I would face coming back. 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.”
As popular as it is to repeatedly criticize what Disney has done in recent years, there have been signs of healing apart from famous creative minds like Jennifer Lee and Dave Filoni spearheading their successful franchises. Disney’s latest film, Wish (2023), has shown a great interest in a return to the classic Disney formula despite its financial misgivings.
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The biggest thing we can take away from Disney’s current developments is that things are beginning to improve, even if they are at a snail’s pace. Realistically, Iger still has a lot of work left to do before he steps down again in 2026, but that’s not to say it can’t be done.
Do you think Mr. Iger is finally seeing the light? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!