Bob Iger‘s second tenure as Disney’s CEO will likely come to an end sooner rather than later, according to a new report. According to The Wall Street Journal, Iger has told many people close to him that he is “pulling back from daily management” and will step down in 2026, likely before his contract expires at the end of the year, according to sources. Neither Disney nor Iger has commented at this time.
The Wall Street Journal reports that a successor is expected to be appointed in “early 2026,” with the board meeting in Burbank, California, next week to vote on the successor. The company has not identified any names of potential successors, but two rumored names have been Josh D’Amaro and Dana Walden. D’Amaro is the chairman of Disney Experiences, who oversees the company’s parks, cruises, and consumer products. Walden is the co-chair of Disney Entertainment and is responsible for overseeing global and streaming television. Walden previously was the president of Entertainment at Walt Disney Television and CEO of Fox Television Group.
A Turning Point for Disney
Iger was the seventh CEO in the Walt Disney Company’s history, taking over from Michael Eisner in 2005 and leading the company until February 2020, when he was succeeded by Bob Chapek. Iger remained the chairperson until his contract ended in 2021. Chapek’s tenure, which began right before the COVID-19 pandemic, was met with a great deal of controvery including a very public lawsuit with Scarlett Johansson over the decision to send Black Widow to streaming and Chapek’s failure to rise to the occasion to challenge Florida’s controversial HB 1557, often referred to as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. In November 2022, Iger was announced to be returning to the Walt Disney Company after Chapek was forced to step down.
While Iger’s original tenure at Disney saw the company reach some of its biggest highs, as the acquisitions of companies like Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm strengthened Disney’s brand and gave it multiple billion-dollar hits, his return has been far more controversial. Iger’s comments during the WGA strikes about writers’ requests being “unrealistic” felt tone-deaf, given the CEO’s nearly $32 million paycheck in 2023. The fallout from temporarily pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live! from the air led many to cancel their Disney+ subscriptions. It was reportedly Bob Iger who shut down the Adam Driver-led and Steven Soderbergh-directed The Hunt for Ben Solo. Most recently, Disney’s decision to partner with OpenAI has been widely criticized by fans and industry insiders.
News that Iger is stepping down as Disney’s CEO comes just weeks after it was announced that Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down as head of Lucasfilm, with Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan now in charge. Jared Bush became the Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation in 2024, following Jennifer Lee’s tenure. Disney appears at a major turning point. What does this mean for the likes of Kevin Feige as the head of Marvel Studios or Pete Doctor as the head of Pixar Animation? Ten years ago, in 2016, Disney was coming off the record-breaking box office performance of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and was about to have an incredible run at the box office with $1 billion hits like Zootopia, The Jungle Book, Captain America: Civil War, Finding Dory, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Much has changed for the company since then, and 2026 may be a significant moment in its history that determines its future direction.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
