The following article is reporting on rumors. Please treat the information therein as labeled.
You may have heard that Disney+ subscriber numbers have stopped growing like The Walt Disney Company had expected. With double their current subscription-base needed to catch up with Netflix, the company has recently slowed down to an exasperating 2 million gain in the fourth quarter. At that rate, Disney will literally never catch Netflix, and the stock value will fall given much of its evaluation is based on the idea that Disney+ will have 200 million plus subscribers by the end of 2024.
While The Walt Disney Company CEO, Bob Chapek, has been solid publicly about his company’s fictional works and entertainment options, we’re hearing something much different from various sources familiar with the behind-the-scenes chatter.
“I want to reiterate that we remain focused on managing our D.T.C. business for the long term, not quarter to quarter, and we’re confident we are on the right trajectory.” — Bob Chapek
According to my sources, Bob Chapek is allegedly pushing hard for both Lucasfilm and Marvel to change course quickly. Surprisingly, there may be more pushback from the Marvel side than the Lucasfilm side. Chapek is concerned that nothing seems to be moving the needle on Disney+ excitement. While The Mandalorian’s first two seasons resulted in massive uptakes for the platform, the firing of Gina Carano left a tangible hole in the sails of the company. While they won’t admit it publicly, Disney executives know that losing Carano in the way it was handled has hurt them badly.
Still, don’t count on Carano coming back anytime soon.
Chapek is rumored to want both Marvel and Lucasfilm to return to winning formulas with proven, rockstar characters. And he’s not interested in artistic reasons for withholding those characters. He’s ready to spend the money to make it happen. He allegedly wants Ironman and Tony Stark back with Marvel. He wants Robert Downey Jr. if need be. Chapek allegedly wants much more of Luke Skywalker, Harrison Ford’s version of Han Solo, and the droids that Star Wars fans love. He is reportedly not interested in further alienation of fans and potential consumers.
The tale of Ghostbusters at the box office is having a resound effect throughout the industry. The rumors of Bob Chapek’s frustration with his studios were bouncing around before Ghostbusters Afterlife headed for exceeded expectations and a profit, but it is certainly driving the point home even harder. Studios that give fans what they want, without overly pandering or becoming fan fiction, will reap great rewards. Studios that treat their properties with respect are much more likely to have sustained success than those that try to denigrate the past to revolutionize the future.
There’s a reason these franchises became franchises in the first place. There was never a guaranteed Ghostbusters Afterlife. There was never a guaranteed Ironman 2. Extreme success breeds sequels, and throwing away the formula is a dangerous gambit.
It is likely to take years for Chapek to steer this ship back in the direction he wants. Kathleen Kennedy was just rehired at Lucasfilm, even though we hear that she has almost no control over Star Wars anymore. Kevin Feige is determined to make an avant garde Phase 4 work… and the blueprints for the future films are already in place. But if the rumors I’m hearing are true, Chapek has had enough of experimenting with lesser-known characters and revolutionary takes on classic adventure tropes. It’s back to what works, and it’s back to that fast.
After all, Disney+ means everything to the company now. And what they’ve been doing for the past few years just isn’t working.
