Bob Iger Knows Disney Makes Too Many Sequels But Won't Apologize - Here's Why

Disney CEO Bob Iger knows that the company is making too many sequels. He's also aware of the dwindling box office returns attached to each consecutive project, but he isn't concerned. Not officially, at least. 

During a Q&A for the Dealbook Conference with The New York Times, as reported by Deadline, Iger said, "I think I don't want to apologize for making sequels. Some of them have done extraordinarily well. And they've been good films too. I think there has to be a reason to make it, beyond commerce. You have to have a good story. And we have made too many. That doesn't mean we're not going to continue to make them."

Despite this, Iger admitted that some of the franchises beneath Disney's umbrella need some work. He cited the Marvel Cinematic Universe and "Indiana Jones" as two properties that require some creative polish before moving forward. Iger followed these comments with a defense of Disney, stating, "I'm not sure another studio will ever achieve some of the numbers that we achieved... We got to the point where if a film didn't do a billion dollars in global box office, we were disappointed. That's an unbelievably high standard."

Iger's comments were made shortly after Disney released "Wish," which bombed at the box office. Although he has yet to comment on the company's new story stumbling, Iger did suggest that "The Marvels" only underperformed because of a lack of executive oversight. 

Interviewer Andrew Ross Sorkin read a letter written by Walt Disney himself during the Dealbook Conference, which reminded shareholders that the company's founder would not be interested in the direction that Disney had taken in the intervening years. The letter read, "I'm a born experimenter. To this day, I don't believe in sequels. I can't follow popular cycles, I have to move on to new things. There are many new worlds to conquer. As a matter of fact, people have been asking us to make sequels ever since Mickey Mouse first became a star."

In response, Bob Iger assured the attendees that Disney was not attempting to replicate the success of former projects, but rather only attempting to make more worthwhile stories. "Right now, we're not thinking about making another 'Mary Poppins,' we never will," he said. "Perhaps there'll be other ventures with equal critical and financial success. But we know we cannot hit a home run with the bases loaded every time we go into play. We also know the only way we can even get to first base is by constantly going back and continuing to swing."

As of this writing, Disney's largest upcoming projects feature "Inside Out 2," "Mufasa: The Lion King," and a live-action adaptation of "Moana." Conversely, Iger has previously suggested that the Marvel Cinematic Universe could see a noticeable decrease in sheer content quantity as early as March 2024.