Disney May Have Found Bob Iger’s Replacement

Disney may have already found its next CEO.

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While Disney still has over a year to choose its next CEO, the company may have already decided who will get the keys to the kingdom. According to sources close to The Hollywood Reporter, Josh D’Amaro is in “pole” position to replace Bob Iger.

D’Amaro has an impressive resume at Disney, overseeing the company’s massive $60 billion parks and resorts investment. D’Amaro is also overseeing the company’s pivot toward the video game industry as part of a billion-dollar deal with Fortnite maker Epic Games. Not much has been officially announced about this partnership, though Disney has made it clear it sees Fortnite as a way to provide more content to customers.

D’Amaro currently serves as Disney Parks and Experiences Chairman, a position he has held since 2020. The new piece from THR digs deep into the internal power dynamics of The Walt Disney Company as its leaders continue to search for the right fit to replace Iger.

D’Amaro has long been seen as a frontrunner in the race to replace Bob Iger, though this isn’t to say he doesn’t have competition. One of the other frontrunners is Dana Walden, Co-Chair of Disney Entertainment. Walden also has an impressive resume, previously serving as Chairman and CEO of Fox Television Group before joining Disney.

Not everyone wants the job, with Chairman of ESPN and Sports Content Jimmy Pitaro dropping out of the running earlier this year. Pitaro confirmed he was removing his name from the hat, stating that he was not interested in the role.

Bob Iger has served as Disney’s CEO since 2005, taking a short break in 2022 when Bob Chapek, his successor, took over. Chapek’s time at Disney wouldn’t last long, with Disney voting in late to cut Chapek and bring back Iger in late 2022.

Disney will announce its next CEO in 2026.

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Whoever ends up with the job has their work cut out for them, as Disney’s entertainment and theme park divisions have never been busier. While the company is seemingly slowing down production of live-action remakes, Disney still has a plethora of films on its release schedule.

These include new entries in the Frozen, Toy Story, and Zootopia franchises, as well as several brand-new projects like Pixar’s Hoppers.

Disney’s theme parks are all about to see big changes, with the company set to close an unprecedented number of rides and attractions over the coming years. Several experiences, like DinoLand U.S.A. and It’s Tough to be A Bug, have already closed, with fan-favorite attractions like Muppet*Vision 3D and Tom Sawyer Island now on the chopping block.

In the place of these soon-to-be-defunct attractions, Disney will construct several new themed lands. One of these lands will be inspired by Pixar’s Cars series of animated films, while another new area takes notes from Monsters Inc.

This is all part of Disney’s $60 billion theme park investment initiative, though not everyone is thrilled by these plans. Only time will tell what The Walt Disney Company looks like five years from now, but it’s an interesting, ambitious, and uncertain time for one of the world’s largest brands.

Stay tuned here at Inside the Magic for all Walt Disney Company news updates.