Disney CEO Teases Bold New Slate, Addresses Recent Flops — Is A Comeback Next?
After a run of box office misfires, Disney CEO Bob Iger admits the stumbles but insists a comeback is imminent, touting a stronger slate and renewed confidence in the releases rolling out over the next few years.
Disney had some bruises at the box office this year, and Bob Iger actually said the quiet part out loud. But he also spent a decent chunk of time pointing to the wins and hyping what is coming next. Classic earnings-call energy, but there are a few specifics worth clocking.
What Iger actually owned up to
On Disney's Q4 2025 earnings call, Iger acknowledged the obvious: a handful of high-profile releases did not land. He framed it as experience, not crisis, and said the studio still feels strong about its overall haul in 2025.
'Not every film works. We know that. We have been around long enough to understand that.'
He also said Disney has already crossed a substantial global box office threshold for the year, which is his way of saying the total tally still looks healthy even with the misses.
The scoreboard, without the spin
- Underperformed: Thunderbolts*, Elio, Tron: Ares, Snow White.
- Big wins: Moana 2 and Lilo & Stitch both cleared the $1 billion mark worldwide.
- On deck: The Mandalorian & Grogu, Avengers: Doomsday, Toy Story 5, and Moana (the upcoming entry on the calendar separate from Moana 2).
Why he is still banging the drum
Iger said the studio is encouraged by what is coming and, yes, he used the word 'bullish.' He pointed to 2026 as a strength year and went further, saying the slate stretching into 2027 and even 2028 looks comparable in muscle to what Disney has queued up for fiscal and calendar 2026. Translation: they know some movies faceplanted, but they are not backing off the release plan.
Bottom line: Disney took some lumps, scored a couple of monster hits, and is betting the next wave will even it all out. We will see how those 2026-2028 swings play when they actually hit screens.