DisneyCEOBob Igeris currently on his second time around as head of the House of Mouse, but he doesn’t want to stay there for too much longer. With his current contract running until 2026, Iger is not only focused on the success of the company, but finding the correct successor to take over when he retires again.
Iger previously worked for the company from 2005 to 2020 as the CEO before retiring and appointing former parks chief Bob Chapek as the new CEO in 2021. Chapek’s leadership lasted little more than a year, with Iger returning to his position as CEO in late 2022. Reported byThe Wrap,in a conversation with newly crowned Disney Legend, Kelly Ripa, he spoke about how he is “obsessed” with finding a successor, noting that this is one of the key parts of his decision to return to his former role. He said:
“I think it would be safe to assume that I think about this all the time. I could say that I’m obsessed with it would be probably an understatement and actually, the board and I established when I returned that that would be among our biggest, if not our biggest priority.”
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Iger expressed his wish to retire again, which is why it’s important that a suitable successor is found. He added the significance of leaving the company in good hands is a large focus for him, among other things. It is a top priority in the company that he and the board are focused on, with the transition happening smoothly.
“I’m now confident that not only will we do that, but we’ll do so on a timely basis that works for the company and hopefully works for me as well, but yes. It’s a huge priority.”
While Iger wants the right person to take his seat this time around, earlier this year, billionaire investor and activist Nelson Peltz made an unsuccessful run at a board position. Disney is looking internally for a successor, such as Disney Entertainment co-chairs Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, Parks chair Josh D’Amaro, and ESPN chair Jimmy Pitaro. When Iger was asked about the potential for one of his sons to continue the Iger CEO legacy, he responded,“No. My sons, interestingly enough, are both interested in parts of the business in a way, but no. It will not be.”
Disney’s Box Office Comeback
The last year has proven quite successful for Disney after a rocky few years following the arrival of the Covid pandemic. The top 2 movies of the year, Marvel’sDeadpool & Wolverineand Pixar’sInside Out 2belong to the company, withInside Out 2’ssuccessbreaking box office recordsto become the number one animated film of all time and topping the year’s highest grossing list so far.Kingdom of the Planet of the Apesalso drew major success, garnering a worldwide total of $396.4 million on a $160 million budget. Of course, the year is a long way from over, and Disney is also expecting big things fromMoana 2,set to release on June 30, 2025. Following this,Mufasa: The Lion King, the live-action prequel to 2019’sThe Lion King,is releasing on August 24, 2025.
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At the recent D23 Expo, several new movies were given release dates, including a run of sequels that are sure to be huge hits.Zootopia 2was announced for 2025, along withFrozen IIIbeing announced for a 2027 release. Pixar previewed the upcoming filmsElio, Hoppers, Toy Story 5,andThe Incredibles 3,whileMarvel’s next film,Captain America: Brave New World, is releasing on Valentine’s Day 2025 andTheFantastic Four: First Stepsin July 2025. These are just some of the movies that will form part of Iger’s legacy for his second tenure as CEO, and it seems like he will be departing having once again elevated the company to new heights.
