Disney CEO Bob Iger has confided to his close associates that he plans to step down from the position on Dec. 31, before his contract ends, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The exact timing of his departure hasn’t been determined, the report says, however he is expected to stay on for “several months” after the new leadership team is appointed so he can mentor them.
Iger originally served as Disney CEO from 2005 to 2020, a period during which the company’s market cap exploded from about $50 billion to about $250 billion. He returned in 2022 after his successor, Bob Chapek, was fired.
Iger’s return was initially much-heralded, but enthusiasm soon cooled as he initiated multiple rounds of layoffs that continued well into 2025.
As comedian Jimmy Kimmel joked during Disney’s 2025 Upfront: “Bob Iger has passionately led Disney for 20 years, and reluctantly for three.” Months later, Iger would come under fire for mishandling Kimmel’s suspension after the comedian spoke about the killing of Charlie Kirk during a late night monologue.
Beyond its controversies around staff and talent, Iger’s Disney took strides figuring out how it would co-exist with tech companies, whose influence in the world of entertainment continues to grow. For instance, Disney successfully resolved a carriage dispute with YouTube which had kept 10 million subscribers from getting ABC content, and it invested $1 billion in OpenAI, making its characters available to its Sora video generation tool.
Disney has continued to build up its adtech and measurement tools over the years, initiatives that began during Iger’s first tenure. And it has bulked up its marketing capabilities by appointing Asad Ayaz as its first-ever chief marketing and brand officer, reporting directly to Iger.
The goal is to create a centralized marketing team for the first time ever, replacing past marketing strategies where Disney’s different units, like theme parks and film, cultivated their own strategies.
Rival Netflix, whose $352 billion market cap exceeds Disney’s, has had dedicated global marketing chiefs since 2012. Even though Netflix lacks Disney’s diverse business lines, like theme parks and theatrical releases, it has expanded its remit by increasingly getting into merchandising.
If Iger follows through with his reported plan to leave, the next CEO will have to turn the consolidation that Iger initiated into growth, without the turbulence that defined his return.
