Josh D'Amaro Tapped to Be New Disney CEO — Will He End "Woke" or Nurture It?

Disney fans were surprised on Feb. 3, 2026, to learn that the massive corporation had tapped a new CEO: Josh D'Amaro. Josh's tenure comes after a 20-year run by Bob Iger, briefly interrupted by a short tenure by Bob Chapek.

Josh's role as the head of Disney offers opportunities and the potential for a very different future for the company, depending on a number of variables.

Here's what we know about the politics that guide Josh and what they could mean for how the company will handle major decisions moving forward, including the claims that Disney is "woke" and a tense corporation and government showdown that put Disney at odds with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over the years.

For the last 20 years, with a brief interlude for Chapek's time at the helm, Bob Iger has guided Disney through turbulent waters. The rise of AI and streaming services, an increasingly tense political atmosphere, and all the world changes caused by globalization have all been challenges Iger has met, faced, and solved in some way or another.

So, to see his tenure come to an end means the potential for a whole new era at Disney.

Enter: Josh D'Amaro. Many see his time as CEO as a chance to battle what they call the "woke" epidemic, which has included Disney embracing a more diverse and accepting policy in their media productions and at their parks.

So, will Josh end "woke" or will he continue on the same path as Iger?

For the most part, Josh avoids speaking publicly about his politics.

So, it's unclear exactly how he feels about many hot-button issues in the political realm. But what we do know, as evidenced in an interview he gave with ABC World News Tonight after the announcement of his pick as CEO, is that he very much shares a vision with Iger for what business and Disney should look like. While he called himself a "risk taker," his admiration for Iger and their shared values seems to be indisputable.

Those who love Disney are a little apprehensive about the hand-off, which will occur around the end of 2026 and the start of 2027.

But there's little reason to worry; Josh has been a part of the Disney family for years, and he knows what the corporation is about. According to his Disney bio, he's been with the company since 1998.

During Chapek's time as CEO, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Disney had a showdown over the governor's anti-gay agenda, with Disney flexing its corporate independence to push back against DeSantis's so-called "don't say gay" policies (via NPR).

It took nearly two years and Florida flexing its power over Disney's right to self-governance before they finally came to an agreement in 2024.

It was a stark reminder that corporations have some power to push back against the government, and in a time when President Donald Trump is flexing his political muscles to try to get major corporations to fall in line, the question about whether Josh will follow in Iger's footsteps to appease the government or Chapek's in pushing back remains to be seen.

But with shared values and visions with Iger, Josh will likely keep Disney on a similar course that the former CEO did. Under Iger, Disney acquired massive subsidiaries such as Pixar, 20th Century Fox, Marvel, and Lucasfilm, giving Josh some massive shoes to fill.