Shock transition at the House of Mouse. Ceo Bob Chapek is out and former CEO and also Board Chairman Bob Iger is back as CEO.

Does it matter?

Unless new Bob is an undeclared Orville fanatic who will instantly renew it, probably not much.

As the New York Times tell it, the main problem with Iger is that he sucked at optics, eg.

All the while, some of Disney’s most dedicated theme park customers have been growing indignant over price increases they see as nickel and diming. This summer, Disney told investors that theme park profits would have been even higher if not for an “unfavorable attendance mix” at Disney World, which annual pass holders took as an affront. T-shirts, mugs and stickers began selling online bearing the word “Unfavorables” in Disney’s signature calligraphy.

Oh dear.

In terms of Disney's biggest sci-fi blunder, Star Wars, Iger led the acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012 and was at the helm for 7 disastrous years on that front.

Content didn't get any worse under Chapek's short 2 year reign.

Though maybe crass commercialisation like the $5000 (US) Star Wars cocktail was Chapek's influence.

He was formerly Chairman of Parks, Experiences and Products so might be product-minded.

Australians might feel far removed from such merchandising but Disney have plans to integrate ecommerce into Disney+ and began a US trial at the beginning of this month which will include product promotions on the details page for relevant titles.

Like $400 (US) Captain Carter Vibranium Shields.

Seems a safe bet that we'll see that here in the not too distant future.

[ Main Image: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - Hayley Atwell as Captain Carter. Credit: Marvel via IMDb.com. ]

References

Barnes, Brooks (November 21, 2022). Disney Brings Back Bob Iger After Ousting Chapek as C.E.O. The New York Times.

Spangler, Todd (November 1, 2022). Disney+ Subscribers Will Get Early Access to Select Merchandise in U.S. Test. Variety.

Wikipedia. Bob Iger. (viewed November 22, 2022)