During the Q&A after the meeting for Disney’s quarterly earnings CEO Bob Iger spoke about how the “new IP is of great value to the company longer term” all the while “the popularity of franchises remains high with potential sequels” and revert “them forward in a more modern way…Or converting what was previously animation to live action…It’s just a great opportunity for the company and supports our franchises.” 

But whether or not the new IP is the main priority, Iger says that their main priority right now is “to put out great movies that ultimately resonate with consumers… the more we can find and develop original property, the better.” Iger continued to explain, “We are developing original property under the 20th Century banner and under the Searchlight banner…you could even argue that Marvel continues to mine its library of characters for original property…we’re introducing those characters to people who are not familiar with them at all.” 

Iger’s goal for Disney since his return as CEO in 2022 has been a turnaround, and it has been largely successful. Iger believes a huge part of that comes from renewed theatrical momentum, which is additive to popular brands and franchises, “further demonstrating their ability to generate ongoing, long-term value across our businesses.” For example, the live-action Lilo & Stitch just recently achieved the $1 billion mark at the global box office and becomes the fourth ofDisney’s billion-dollar films, joining the likes of Deadpool & Wolverine, Inside Out 2, and Moana 2. 

Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps released into theaters two weeks ago, and upcoming Disney releases include Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash. Pixar’s Toy Story 5, Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday, and a live-action Moana are set to arrive in 2026.