Bob Iger Slammed for “Greedy” Disney Vision After Shocking Remarks

Disney has turned making money into an art form. Theme parks, movies, merchandise, streaming bundles—it all prints gold. Want to meet Mickey? Be ready to pay over $100. Want to skip the line for your favorite ride? Lightning Lane has you covered—for a fee.

It’s become clear that magic isn’t the only thing Disney’s selling. But now, after years of reboots, remakes, and re-releases, fans are starting to push back. And their frustration is now aimed squarely at the top: Bob Iger.

Especially after his latest comment.

When Remakes Rule the Box Office

Let’s be fair—some of Disney’s live-action remakes have crushed it.

Here’s a quick rundown of the major wins:

• Beauty and the Beast (2017): $1.26 billion

• The Lion King (2019): $1.66 billion

• Aladdin (2019): $1.05 billion

• Lilo & Stitch (2025): Over $1 billion and counting

That last one shocked a lot of people. Not only did it clean up at the box office, but Stitch also skyrocketed in popularity. He’s now Disney’s second-biggest merch character, right behind Mickey Mouse. Even Mulan (2020), released during the pandemic, received critical praise—88% on Rotten Tomatoes.

But for every win, there’s a trainwreck waiting on the other side of the vault.

When the Magic Runs Dry

Disney’s box office history is filled with “meh” remakes that couldn’t recapture the original magic.

Some of the more forgettable entries include:

• Dumbo (2019): $353.3 million, 46% Rotten Tomatoes

• Lady and the Tramp (2019): Streaming-only, 67% Rotten Tomatoes

• Pinocchio (2022): Disney+ exclusive, 27% Rotten Tomatoes

• The Little Mermaid (2023): $569.5 million, 67% Rotten Tomatoes

• Snow White (2025): $205.5 million, 39% Rotten Tomatoes

Even The Little Mermaid (2023), which made over half a billion, fell $500 million short of its live-action peers.

And don’t forget the backlash. Many of these remakes felt more like marketing moves than passion projects—fans noticed.

Sequels That Stumbled

Disney doesn’t just remake. It doubles down with sequels—lots of them.

Some worked:

• Inside Out 2 (2024): Box office smash, great reviews

• Monsters University (2013): Solid, fan-favorite

Others… not so much:

• Mufasa (2024): 56% Rotten Tomatoes

• Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016): 29% RT, $299.5M

• Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019): 40% RT

• Fox and the Hound 2, 101 Dalmatians sequels (and live actions): pretty much forgotten

Even successful sequels rarely match the impact or emotional weight of the originals.

The Fans Are Tired

After years of this cycle, fans are done pretending it’s all magical. From Reddit threads to TikToks and Twitter posts, the message is clear: this isn’t it. The magic has started to feel more like marketing. The emotional connection is fading, replaced by frustration over recycled content and profit-driven choices.

And then Bob Iger poured gas on the fire.

Bob Iger’s Comment Didn’t Go Over Well

On Disney’s latest earnings call, Iger said:

“The more we can find and develop original property, the better.”

Fans immediately called it out. How can a company flooded with remakes, reboots, and sequel announcements pretend to be focused on original ideas?

Sure, Disney has released some original content recently (Wish, Elemental, Elio), but it didn’t exactly land with audiences. Marketing missteps and underwhelming execution kept it from becoming the next Frozen.

And the parks? Disney is retheming classic areas into IP-heavy experiences, replacing original ideas like Tom Sawyer Island with Encanto and Zootopia attractions.

In the end, as Iger laid out Disney’s vision, the message was clear: if something already created can still make money, Disney will keep pushing sequels and remakes—long before prioritizing anything original.

A Creative Crisis in Disguise

Fans see what’s going on. This isn’t about storytelling anymore—it’s about what can be licensed, merchandised, and marketed the fastest.

So when Bob Iger tries to defend Disney’s direction with buzzwords like “original property,” it rings hollow. The magic used to be in the originality. It feels like creativity is just a stepping stone to the next merchandise deal.

So, if you were hoping for a return to Disney’s creative golden age, don’t hold your breath. Fans are more likely to get a steady stream of familiar faces, familiar stories, and familiar profits.