"I'm A Big Risk Taker" — Future Disney CEO Comments on Taking Over After Bob Iger

The internet is undergoing a tide of emotions following Disney’s recent announcement that Josh D’Amaro will take over as Disney CEO on March 18th, 2026, following in the footsteps of Bob Iger, who has run Disney as CEO for nearly two decades.

Recently, both men went on Good Morning America to chat about the news and answer some questions, and Josh D’Amaro particularly made some statements that have us very curious to see what things will look like when he takes over.

When speaking about Bob Iger in general, D’Amaro did admit that sitting next to him was “a bit intimidating,” but then he continued on and said something that really struck us. When chatting with the interviewer, he said, “Bob’s a big risk taker, I’m a big risk taker, and that’s been true my whole life.”

Following up on being a risk taker, the CEO and soon-to-be CEO were asked about the decision to build a park in Abu Dhabi. D’Amaro answered by saying, “We did that quickly, and we did it ambitiously.” Iger followed up by saying that the two of them stood in Abu Dhabi together, looking out at the ocean, the sand, and the land as a whole, and both were dreaming big about what it could be.

AI is a very topical conversation point in basically all fields right now, but especially when talking about creativity at Disney. Iger commented on how one of the reasons D’Amaro was chosen for the job was due to his openness to see technology as an opportunity instead of a threat. D’Amaro then continued, telling the interviewer, “The reason this company is so special is because of how creative we are and the human beings that are generating that creativity. In my mind, that never gets replaced.”

However, he went on to talk about how, to him, it is important to work with the technological advancements instead of pushing back against them. D’Amaro was quoted as saying that AI “is here,” and that “it’s something that we’re embracing and you’re seeing it supercharged these creatives in amazing ways, and they’ve embraced artificial intelligence.” What does this mean for what we’ll see from the company, knowing that they want to embrace the advancements, but also still keep humans in control of creativity? We’ll have to wait and see!

Closing out the interview, D’Amaro was asked how he felt about stepping into this position, and his response was, “Of course I feel the weight on my shoulders — I should feel it.” Meanwhile, Iger commented on how he’s looking forward to experiencing this quieter time in his life.