A few years after the change in leadership began, a new report claims that ex-Disney CEO Bob Iger thinks choosing Bob Chapek to take over was a terrible decision. Iger was paramount to The Walt Disney Company's rise in Hollywood power over the past 30 years, serving first as President of ABC Television from 1994-95 and making his way up the ranks until he took over as CEO in 2005, succeeding Michael Eisner. Iger would oversee Disney's acquisitions of Toy Story studio Pixar for $7.4 billion, Marvel Entertainment in 2009 for $4 billion, Lucasfilm in 2012 for $4.06 billion and 21st Century Fox just prior to his departure for $71.3 billion.

After helping usher in Disney's golden age, including the launch of their streaming platform Disney+, Iger announced he would be stepping down from CEO and chairman of Disney upon his contract expiration in 2021 and would announced his intention to retire in 2020. Bob Chapek, who had worked as a chairman for a variety of the studio's branches, including Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, was announced to be Iger's successor as CEO while the former Disney CEO would continue to serve as an executive and board chairman and help Chapek in his transition. Though there was a plan for it all, it appears Iger and Chapek's exchange of power hasn't been as smooth as intended.

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A new report from Business Insider claims that ex-Disney CEO Bob Iger thinks Chapek's appointment was a terrible decision. Sources close to the situation recall Iger had planned to slowly hand off the reins to the studio over two years, though with the COVID-19 pandemic and pressure from the studio's board of executives, Iger sought to speed up the process to move on from the situation. Iger also reportedly began regretting his decision within weeks of its announcement as the pandemic began negatively affecting Disney's plans and Chapek began making major restructuring plans.

Star Wars Bob Chapek

In the time since Chapek took over as Disney CEO, the studio has frequently come under fire from consumers and those within the studio itself. While the efforts to bring content to viewers via Disney+ amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was met with some positive feedback, it was met with a lot of pushback from Pixar employees who expressed frustration over the likes of Luca and Turning Red getting exclusive streaming releases. Additionally, Disney's decision for a simultaneous release of Black Widow infamously resulted in a lawsuit from star Scarlett Johansson, which brought a slew of negative headlines as the two called each other out for their reactions to the situation.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek was further put in the hot seat with his initial lack of a response to Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill and attempts to defend the studio's position in remaining out of the situation, despite their pro-LGBTQIA+ image. Chapek would later issue an apology for his initial reactions to the bill and announced putting forth donations to LGBTQ+ foundations and ceasing donations to political parties in Florida, a move which may have put Chapek's image back on track, but many still find his decision-making questionable. While Iger may have moved on from his time as Disney, it will be interesting to see whether his frustrations over Chapek's time as Disney CEO will continue to surface following his recent contract extension.

More: How WB's HBO Max Releases Avoided Disney's Scarlett Johansson Controversy

Source: Business Insider