Former Disney CEO Bob Iger believes MCU and Star Wars Disney Plus shows can hurt the movie theater industry.
With the rise of streaming over the last few years, big studios have created their own unique platforms including the likes of Disney Plus, HBO Max, Peacock and Paramount Plus among others. Especially due to ongoing events in the last two years, streaming has been a primary focus for the industry, as fears regarding the future of movie theaters in this tumultuous time remain a topic of discussion. In regards to former Disney CEO Bob Iger, he has his own thoughts regarding the impact that new MCU and Star Wars shows at home are having on the movie theater business.
Bob Iger spoke with The New York Times about the ever-changing industry, and expressed his beliefs that while original shows on Disney Plus have brought great success to the company’s streaming service, it may negatively impact the act of moviegoing in significant numbers:
“I don’t think it’s the death. I think it’s a severe injury that maybe doesn’t heal. And what I mean by that is, not fatal. It might be fatal to some.”
Bob Iger further explained that he believes most audiences will seek out films in theaters based on spectacle compared to smaller-scale films that may prefer to watch at home:
“However, they will be much more, I think, discerning about what movies they want to see out of the home, where you’re likely, I think, to say or ask yourself, wait a minute, is this a movie I need to see on the big screen and do all that, or can I wait or not even wait, for that matter, and see it at home?
As he continued, Bob Iger compared the movie-scale quality of Disney Plus’ original series from the MCU and Star Wars, creating increased competition for films on the big screen:
“It’s not even about whether you watch a movie on the big screen or at home. It’s just, you have so many more choices in the home. Think about the number of TV series that we’re talking about— at a quality level that’s pretty good, much better, from a production-value perspective, than it used to be… Some of the T.V. shows that Disney has made— “Mandalorian” being one, the Marvel series, “Falcon and the Winter Solider,” “Loki”— each one of those is a movie. So just, movie theaters have much more competition than they ever had before.”
Bob Iger’s comments regarding the impact that the MCU and Star Wars original series on Disney Plus are having on the movie theater business is quite illuminating to hear. For one, given that it’s clear that the Walt Disney Company’s primary focus at the moment is on the expansion of their streaming service, it’s no surprise that concerns for the movie theater industry remains a cause for concern for some. However, thanks to the success of films like Spider-Man: No Way Home, it appears audiences are still clamoring for a communal experience for certain big blockbusters.
The next original MCU Disney Plus series will be Moon Knight. Here is the synopsis:
“A new globetrotting action-adventure series featuring a complex vigilante who suffers from dissociative identity disorder. The multiple identities who live inside him find themselves thrust into a deadly war of the gods against the backdrop of modern and ancient Egypt.”
Moon Knight will hit Disney Plus on March 30th, 2022. Stay tuned to Heroic Hollywood for the latest news regarding Bob Iger, new shows from the MCU and Star Wars and the future of Disney Plus, and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!
Source: The New York Times
