A new era has dawned at The Walt Disney Company now that Bob Iger has stepped down as CEO (again) and Josh D’Amaro has taken the lead. His coming-out party yesterday was the company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders. It gave us a bit of news, including the release dates for Incredibles 3 and Lilo & Stitch 2, but was mostly focused on touting Disney’s place in the entertainment industry, a place the new CEO says nobody can touch.
At the Shareholders Meeting, which CinemaBlend covered live, after departing boss Bob Iger made some farewell remarks, Josh D’Amaro appeared in a prerecorded segment where he seemingly took a shot at the recent battle over Warner Bros, indicating that the chaos we’re seeing in the industry right now is because companies are realizing its something they have to do to compete, while Disney is riding high. D’Amarao said…
Simply put, while others in our industry are consolidating just to compete, are struggling to be relevant in a fragmented and disrupted world, Disney is in a category of one, poised to accelerate into our next era of innovation and growth.
D’Amaro’s comments echo those of his predecessor. Bob Iger was asked (more than once) on earnings calls if Disney was considering any major acquisitions as a way to compete with the Warner Bros merger. He suggested that Disney’s purchase of 20th Century Fox several years ago was a case of Disney leading the way, and other companies were now playing catch-up by doing what it had already done.
And Josh D’Amaro certainly takes the reins of Disney at a good time. In 2025, Disney had three of the top five films at the global box office. It had the number one show on streaming, and its Experiences division, including the theme parks and Disney Cruise Line, the division he previously oversaw, was setting records for revenue.
It’s hard not to see Disney in a “category of one” with results like that. It isn’t just that Disney does so much more than many other companies in the entertainment space; it’s that Disney is also incredibly successful in nearly every area in which it competes. These different elements work nearly seamlessly together as well. An IP from Disney that finds success in one place can be leveraged across a variety of disciplines.
While the past has been incredible, there are still many questions about Disney’s future. The company is embracing AI in a big way, a move that many fans aren’t particularly comfortable with, though Disney insists it will be used by creative people, not used to replace them. What is clear is that Disney will undergo many changes under Josh D’Amaro. He will have an interesting tenure as Disney’s CEO to say the least.
