Which Problems Must Disney Solve in 2025?
Each year, Hollywood and Wall Street analysts post their biggest questions about powerhouse media companies.
Since Disney resides at the top of the food chain, many of these questions involve your favorite company.
Photo: Disney
This year, I’ve culled some of the top Disney questions across multiple lists to evaluate the company’s most pressing concerns.
So, which problems must Bob Iger answer in 2025?
How Will Expansion Work?
Here’s the only theme park question on the list, but it matters the most to you and me.
We’re the ones who would spend every waking second at Disney.
Cinderella Castle
Seriously, my retirement is gonna be me holding a Steam Deck while I ride around the PeopleMover all day long.
For all of us in love with Disney theme parks, the most pressing topic is expansion, which starts in…five days ago.
Photo: Disney
No, really, Disney has permanently closed several attractions and experiences while shutting down others for refurbishment.
So, we’re done with TriceraTop Spin, and we won’t ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad again until 2026.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad closed sign
Now, we’re entering the construction phase, which can be grueling for park guests.
I have lingering dark memories of the construction walls at Disney’s Animal Kingdom during the Pandora build.
Construction walls
Similarly, EPCOT was no picnic either during the pandemic. I had to circle back so much my Fitbit started smoking from overuse.
In 2025, construction begins in earnest at the Tropical Americas, while DinoLand USA continues in a temporary half-life state.
DinoLand USA
At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Muppets Courtyard is about to go kablooey in favor of Monstropolis, the Monsters, Inc. themed land.
Then, we have Magic Kingdom, the park facing the most unprecedented changes.
Muppets Courtyard
Disney will fill in the waters of Rivers of America, close Tom Sawyer Island, and reconfigure parts of Frontierland.
We don’t know how much of this work will occur in 2025, but it could make parts of the parks rather chaotic.
Is Marvel Okay?
During 2024, Marvel had its big comeback with Deadpool & Wolverine earning more than $1.3 billion.
That’s the most any Marvel film had made in five years, and it proved that comic book movies still have plenty of drawing power.
Photo: Marvel
Still, many entertainment sites have loudly wondered the same thing.
How much of Deadpool 3’s success was because of Marvel versus Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman?
Photo: Marvel
Was that project merely a one-off hit rather than a demonstration that Marvel has returned to its glory days of high-quality blockbusters?
We will get our answer to that question as early as next month, with the release of Captain America: Brave New World.
Photo: Marvel
Sam Wilson, formerly known as The Falcon, has earned the title of Captain America. This is his first standalone movie, though.
How will audiences respond to seeing someone other than Chris Evans in the role?
Photo: Marvel
Disney has stacked the deck by casting Harrison Ford as the President of the United States AND the Red Hulk.
Soon afterward, May brings the release of Thunderbolts*, a first for the MCU. It’s an antihero rather than hero team.
Marvel
Known MCU characters like Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Ghost, and Bucky Barnes comprise this team.
The trailer shows Bucky pursuing and attacking the others, which speaks to the oddity of the premise.
Photo: Marvel
These people aren’t really allies. Most of them don’t even have allies…yet. Can they co-exist and become a viable superhero team?
Disney is taking a real chance here, as DC has died twice with the Suicide Squad, a similar concept.
Photo: USA Today
Finally, the Fantastic Four finally comes to the MCU after three Fox releases, one of which was successful and none of which were good.
The Playlist notes that it has an “aesthetic markedly different than any Marvel movie since “Eternals.””
Photo: Marvel
So, again, we’re talking about another fairly big risk here, as the last Fantastic Four movie was arguably the biggest bomb of 2015.
And Eternals was one of Marvel’s most disappointing movies to date.
Photo: Marvel
This year really could go either way for Marvel, depending on the quality of the three films, two of which have had a lot of reshoots.
What Will Hulu Cost?
Disney wrote Comcast a check for $8.1 billion. In truly mob boss fashion, Comcast said, “That’s not all you owe me.”
Comcast took Disney to arbitration over the matter of its Hulu share.
Disney/Comcast/Hulu
As part of its NBCUniversal acquisition, Comcast held a one-third ownership stake in Hulu.
When Disney gained controlling interest in 2019, Comcast agreed to drop out of management.
Hulu banners
In exchange, Comcast expected Disney to pay one-third of Hulu’s fair market value in five years.
The language of this agreement guaranteed the amount would be at least $8.1 billion.
Photo: Disney
As you might expect, Disney offered the legally required amount. Comcast wants more.
An arbitrator will eventually rule on this matter, but the debate is currently deadlocked.
Photo: THIERRY CHESNOT/GETTY IMAGES
Disney could feasibly owe Comcast another $5-$7 billion if an arbitrator agrees with the latter company.
In fact, Comcast has gone so far as to claim Hulu is worth $60 billion, which would leave Disney on the hook for $12 billion more.
Photo: Disney+
There’s only a remote possibility of that happening, but Disney’s situation here is precarious.
The company basically has written a blank IOU and will allow some random arbitrator to add a dollar amount.
What Happens with Snow White?
I sincerely hope this one proves to be much ado about nothing.
After all, that’s what happened with The Little Mermaid’s 2019 remake.
Photo: DIsney+
In certain circles, outspoken critics tore into Disney for its casting choice, which said more about them than Disney or the movie.
Then, when The Little Mermaid came out in theaters, it was a charming remake with some jaw-dropping music.
Photo: Disney
Fans watched and enjoyed it, and the film turned a profit in theaters. It just wasn’t a big profit.
So, critics pretended it was the failure they’d predicted and moved on to the next topic from the outrage machine.
Little Mermaid Petit Cake
We’re witnessing the same thing with the Snow White remake, which is worrisome.
Please remember that this is THE quintessential Disney animated movie, the one that started it all.
Image Credit: Disney
Disney needs its Snow White remake to be high-quality and beloved. Otherwise, it tarnishes the brand.
Anybody who has kept up with Snow White over the past two years is acutely aware of the fact that this feels…ambitious.
Photo: Disney
Star Rachel Zegler also isn’t popular in some circles, which makes the marketing of the film challenging, too.
Hopefully, the whole thing is much ado about nothing, but if anybody texts me and asks for quotes about this film’s box office, I ain’t responding.
Who Succeeds Bob Iger?
Disney has theoretically punted this decision until 2026, but let’s say the quiet part out loud. Bob Iger turns 74 on February 10th.
He already retired once because of his age, and that was three years ago.
NBC News
He hasn’t gotten any younger, folks. He’s not Benjamin Button.
So, Disney remains in limbo until such a time as Iger and Disney Chairman James Gorman reveal the name of the next CEO.
Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
Both individuals have already indicated that this announcement won’t happen in 2025.
I don’t believe them, as I consider another year-long delay a mistake. But who knows?
Bob Iger – 2023 Annual Shareholder Meeting
Maybe Disney really is trying to thread the needle by bringing in some heavyweight outsider like Ted Sarandos while keeping all its current Chairmen.
Still, until Disney announces Iger’s successor, this problem will remain Disney’s most pressing.
(Charley Gallay / Getty Images for Disney)
The uncertainty creates a “too many cooks” leadership vacuum, even with proven CEOs like Iger and Gorman in charge.
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