The leadership role at The Walt Disney Company has been one rife with controversy for years, but none more dramatic and worthy of HBO’s Succession than the past six years. After leading the company to major profits and some of its most ambitious acquisitions ever, Bob Iger stepped down as CEO back in 2020, with Bob Chapek named his successor, a move that was completed just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world and forced Disney’s parks, film and TV sets, and more to shut down. It’s been chaotic since then as well, with Chapek being forced out and Iger returning too.
Now the saga has taken another major turn, as The Wall Street Journal reports that Bob Iger will not finish out his contract as CEO and will step down from his position sometime in 2026. Though set to stay at the top of Disney through the year, the executive has reportedly told multiple sources that he’d become frustrated with the grind of being CEO, including high-profile conflicts that made headlines globally like Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension on ABC. Neither Disney nor Iger has commented on the report, but the story’s not over.
Bob Iger Set to Leave Disney Early, With Successor Still Not Named
Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney
Bob Iger’s early departure from the company is one that makes sense given the extensive story, as his return to Disney was not planned until frustration with Chapek’s run saw the board of directors make a change. Though he was brought back to run Disney again in 2022, it was done with the specific note that it wouldn’t be for an extended period of time, originally just two years, and that a succession plan was a key part of his return, which was four years ago.
Succession of Iger as Disney CEO is one that fans of the company’s media are keen to learn about, but perhaps not nearly as much as Wall Street investors, who have seen the company’s stock tumble from an all-tie high in 2021 ($197) to its current rate which is $112.80. A report from the LA Times last week discussed the succession search at Disney in great detail, noting that Disney’s Chairman, James P. Gorman, had been tasked with the job when he took his current position.
Who will become the next Disney CEO remains a mystery, but potential candidates that could take the job include Josh D’Amaro, current Chairman of Disney Experiences and a longtime executive ini the parks division, whom many believe will land the job. Dana Walden, the co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, is also believed to be in the running for the position, though her candidacy could be tainted by controversy, as it’s been reported she had the final say in Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension on ABC last fall. Alan Bergman, Walden’s co-chair of Disney Entertainment, and Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN, are other reported candidates for the job.
Disney has indicated that they will name a successor to Iger in “early 2026,” and with their annual shareholders meeting set to take place on March 18, we may find out then who will become the new CEO of the House of Mouse.
