Andor, Marvel, Pixar: What Disney boss Bob Iger needs to change, now he’s CEO again

In entertainment news dubbed “the biggest of the year,” Bob Iger has returned to Disney as CEO.

For those wondering why this particular update is causing so much excitement (the announcement was reportedly met with acclaim at Disney World), Iger is the man behind some of the most lucrative deals in the studio’s history.

It’s thanks to Iger that Disney took on Pixar, Lucasfilm and, yes, Marvel in deals that cost and, more importantly, did billion. His contract expired in 2020 after 15 years at the helm, and Bob Chapek took over.

Chapek didn’t manage to trust Disney lovers in the same way Iger did, though in fairness he spent most of his tenure during a pandemic. For unknown reasons, Chapek has now resigned as CEO, with a very unexpected memo sent to employees on Sunday (November 20).

Iger’s return was heralded by Disney lovers, who have likely wished for plenty of stars for news like this. However, not everything is fixed immediately. Below, we’ll go through the five things Iger should do to restore harmony at Disney.

A ban on Pixar follow-ups

It’s been six years since Pixar released a decent follow-up (Find Dory) and 12 years ago a really great (toy story 3) – although admittedly I feel a bit treacherous about the underrated prequel in doing so Monster University. But this stat strongly suggests that Pixar is struggling to recapture the magic when it comes to existing properties. Rather than besmirch the legacy of what came before, it should be concerned with creating new worlds, characters and stories that cause existential crises. Iger should ensure that this was recently announced inside/outside 2 will be the last episode for a long time.

No more fan service TV shows

Here you watch, Star Wars, its sad TV shows Boba Fett’s book and Obi Wan Kenobi driven by nostalgia at the expense of pretty much all creativity. then Andor came and showed that a Star Wars series that eschewed surprise cameos, references, and Easter eggs to generate retweets on social media could actually exist as a great standalone series. how did it do that By not dealing with what came before. Creator Tony Gilroy has set out a plan that all Disney+ TV shows — not just Star Wars — should adhere to. More please.

A stop at Star Wars movies

If there is such a thing Andor As it turns out, when it comes to a franchise whose legacy has been violated, taking the time to present and flesh out a new story and new characters is key to success. The problem with this is that not everyone can easily create something suitable Andor ‘s quality – and they shouldn’t even try. Every new film series is screwed up by those who believe in injecting an adrenaline rush of nostalgia, if only to ensure audiences flock to the theaters. Andor worked because it was a TV show; Trying to emulate his success on the big screen could and probably would end in one Rise of Skywalker-style disaster.

Less Marvel movies

That’s never going to happen, but here’s this: While it might sound counterproductive given that every Marvel movie gets a kill at the box office, it’s time to be honest about the state of the MCU. Since 2019 Avengers: Endgame, these films are getting weaker and weaker. The excitement surrounding each release also seems to have abated somewhat. Earlier this month a new poll conducted by fanbase, found that a third of Marvel fans feel drained from the flood of titles released each year. So surely the only way to wake people up is to give fewer greenlights and make sure what’s out there is the best it can be. If the MCU wants to keep its quality, less could be more.

bring films to cinemas

Perhaps an obvious one, but Iger should discontinue the same day-and-date strategy for theatrical and streaming releases, effective immediately. Gone should also be the addition of a movie to Disney+ about a month after its theatrical release, which is a cynical ploy to get people interested in subscribing. Under Chapek, Disney’s market value fell from $260bn (£220bn) to $167bn (£141bn) as a result of its focus on luring people to the streaming service. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to have in the mix, but it’s time to re-encourage audiences to enjoy these films as a community.