Disney came to town to gobble up smaller media companies and swap Bobs, and wouldn’t you know it, they’re all out of companies to gobble. Effective immediately, Chairman of Parks, Experiences and Products Bob Chapek is the new CEO of Disney, and Bob Iger is stepping down. Yes, everything the light touches, from ABC to Marvel to LucasFilm to Disney+ to The Studio Formerly Known As 20th Century Fox, will now be overseen by Chapek, and Iger will take the role of executive chairman until the end of 2021. Chapek has worked at Disney for 27 years, overseeing theme-park endeavors including the opening of Shanghai Disney Resort and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, as well as consumer products (although he mostly oversaw those in the pre-Baby Yoda era). In an announcement released by the company, Iger said with that classic Disney magic:
“I have the utmost confidence in Bob and look forward to working closely with him over the next 22 months as he assumes this new role and delves deeper into Disney’s multifaceted global businesses and operations, while I continue to focus on the Company’s creative endeavors.â€
It’s the circle of capitalism, and it moves us all. Or as Madison Malone Kircher put it: “behind every man named Bob is another man named Bob.â€