Disney CEO Bob Iger recently extended his contract to serve in that role until 2026, and the executive has a lot of work now ahead of him.
Earlier this year, Disney rolled out a reorganisation of the business that includes $5.5 billion in cost-cutting measures, while Iger also needs to deal with a series of blunders made by his predecessor, Bob Chapek (including clashes with politicians, a decline in theme park admissions, and overspending on streaming).
A rapid increase in Marvel Studios content has led to what many argue is quantity over quality, while Star Wars has become a television franchise instead of a theatrical one.
The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Andor, for example, have all been hits, but we haven't visited this Galaxy Far, Far Away in theaters since 2019's The Rise of Skywalker. Now, Iger has confirmed plans to "pull back" on MCU and Star Wars content moving forward.
"Yes," he responded (via SFFGazette.com) when asked if the plan is to cut down what we see from both franchises. "You pull back not just to focus, but also as part of our cost containment initiative. Spending less on what we make, and making less."
We know of at least three Star Wars movies which are in development, but in terms of small screen offerings, nothing has been announced beyond 2024 (in fact, as things stand, The Mandalorian season 4 might be all we get on Disney+ in 2025). As for the MCU, we anticipate a major reduction in streaming titles.
It's hard to say whether this is good or bad news for Star Wars, particularly as Disney clearly wants to also "[spend] less on what we make." Of course, in the midst of the current WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the House of Mouse won't be making anything for the foreseeable future, regardless.
Check out Iger's comments in the video below.