Wall Street treated Bob Iger’s return to Disney like sweet candy and gobbled up shares. Now the sugar rush has worn off.
Iger’s promises to offer up creative freedom while also cutting costs and leaning into IP are already being tested in a wary market that’s watching the box office and other metrics closely. The pressure for financial discipline could prove a tough test for his transitional tenure.
The latest Marvel film’s underperformance is just one striking example of the obstacles in Iger’s way. With an end-of-weekend-three total of $187 million domestically and $420 million worldwide, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” is on track to earn less in North America than “Ant-Man and the Wasp” and less worldwide than either previous “Ant-Man” film.