The leader of any organization is going to find themselves constantly submitted to criticism and praise alike, from both supporters and adversaries.
With an organization as big as the Walt Disney Company, it comes as no surprise to hear that CEO Bob Iger is no different.
Bob Iger Has an Extensive History With the Mouse
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Bob Iger first took the helm of the Walt Disney Company in 2005. For fifteen years, Iger navigated the company through changing times, making historical decisions and acquiring Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and even 20th Century Fox (now named 20th Century Studios).
In 2020, just a month shy of the pandemic taking hold in the United States, Bob Iger resigned as CEO, stepping down from the role as Bob Chapek took the reigns.
Bob Iger, however, stayed on as an Executive Chairman to the Walt Disney Company and had agreed to do so until the end of 2021 to assist the company with its creative strategies. But nobody could have seen what was coming.
Bob Chapek Wasn’t Cut Out For the Demanding Job
Unlike Iger, who navigated the changing times of the early 2000s into the 2010s with ease, Chapek struggled to lead the Walt Disney Company through something as unprecedented as the COVID-19 pandemic.
While it’s not something anyone could fault him for, it’s no secret that CEO Bob Chapek was unpopular with the average Disney fan. Much of his decisions made fans and frequent visitors of Disney theme parks feel alienated and overall unimportant.
So, when Bob Iger was reinstated again in November 2022, fans were overwhelmingly happy with the decision.
Nobody Was Happier Than Disney Fans Last Thanksgiving
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Not only had Bob Iger made some of the most successful decisions during his first term as CEO of the Walt Disney Company, but CEO Bob Chapek had left such a bad taste in the Disney community’s mouth that the general public would have been happy to see anyone take the reigns from him.
Now, it seems the mighty have fallen.
In such a short amount of time, Bob Iger has managed to make a ton of decisions that have also begun alienating the general public.
For one, Bob Iger has stated that theme park operations will lean into IPs, something many Disney fans are explicitly unhappy with. There’s also the overabundance of live-action remakes, something many Disney fans are also openly disappointed by. We can’t help but be reminded of how disappointed fans were when Disney stopped producing traditionally animated films, a decision that was also made with Bob Iger at the helm.
The List Goes On and On…
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There’s also the decisions being made regarding Disney Plus (stylistically Disney+); as Disney removes content, raises prices, introduces advertisements, and announces plans for cracking down on password sharing, some of the company’s biggest fans are beginning to feel discouraged.
Amidst the ongoing writers’ and actors’ guild strikes, Bob Iger originally made some out-of-touch comments that did not resonate well with the general public, reminding us of the recent Cast Member strikes.
And, although the feud with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis began when Bob Chapek was CEO, Bob Iger is the one facing the repercussions.
So, What Happens Next?
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Unfortunately, all misgivings toward Bob Iger are beginning to show as a petition calling for his removal as CEO begins resurfacing. The creator of the petition urges others to sign, writing,
Bob Iger must be gone. Ever since Iger took over, he has been destroying the magic of Disney. All he cares about is money and it really shows. We won’t allow that. Not only that Disney Is also doing very poorly under Iger’s leadership. He has overstayed his welcome. If you are someone who grew up in the 1990s and early 2000s, and hate the direction the parks are going. Please sign this petition. If you are sick of idenity politics and political correctness […] Please sign.
Originally, this petition was made back in 2017, toward the end of Iger’s time as CEO. But it’s recently begun ramping up again, and has achieved over half of its goal reached.
Whether this petition makes any headway at Disney’s headquarters or not, it clearly shows a change in the times. Fans are no longer dazzled by Bob Iger’s return, and a bigger change may very well be on its way.