Embracing new technologies and building out Disney+ are among Disney’s plans for the future, the company’s new CEO Josh D’Amaro said during its annual shareholder meeting—his first day on the job yesterday. 

During the meeting, D’Amaro painted a picture of great opportunity. It’s a breath of fresh air for a company that’s more or less righted its financial ship in the last few years, but has a history of messy succession periods, with proxy fights, expensive golden parachutes (Bob Chapek reportedly got more than US$20 million) and key departures—and that’s all just in the last few years. Going back further, Disney has a long history of complex and ugly fights over who will run the biggest kids media company in the world.

But this time—so far at least—there have been no headlines about top contenders for the CEO job leaving, or any attempts to install a whole new board. 

Since D’Amaro didn’t have to address questions in that vein during the annual meeting, he was able to focus on outlining his vision for the future of the company.

Disney’s full-year 2025 revenue was up 3% to US$94.4 billion, and the company’s ability to create franchises out of new IPs sets it up for more success, he said during the call. “What really differentiates Disney is what happens after a great story is created, and this is when our stories start to move across the entire company,” he said. Whether a film, a game, or a consumer product, these are then “reinforced” across its business segments and platforms, he notes. 

The interconnectivity is why D’Amaro said that Disney+ “is becoming the digital centerpiece of our company.” He says he aims to evolve the streamer into a “portal” that connects its films, experiences and games together. What exactly this could mean, and whether this is a signal that video games could come directly onto the platform like on Netflix, D’Amaro didn’t specify. But he did say that Disney+ and Hulu would be unified into one experience later this year. 

Increasingly, audiences expect to be able to consume brands in multiple ways, via digital content and consumer products. And armed with strong stories, Disney is planning to continue building out its IPs in new directions. “[Audiences] expect that their favorite brand and stories will travel with them wherever they decide to spend their time,” he said during the call. 

Disney’s recent deal to work with OpenAI that will let kids make new content featuring its characters, with a selection of these set to hit Disney+, is one example of this sort of growth, as is adding vertical videos (and possibly creator content) to the platform and partnering with Epic Games to develop a Disney universe tied to Fortnite. These were all moves former CEO Bob Iger oversaw before handing over the reins, and following in this spirit of innovation, D’Amaro pledged to “continue to develop new technologies” for its creatives.

D’Amaro also unveiled the release dates for two films in development: Lilo & Stitch 2 (May 26, 2028) and Pixar’s Incredibles 3 (June 16, 2028), which could mark a strong summer box office for Disney if both titles keep their dates. 

During the shareholder presentation, Iger, who was CEO of the company for more than 15 years—and at Disney for twice that long—shared a farewell message that praised D’Amaro and expressed a confident outlook on the company’s future. 

 “When I returned in 2022, people had lost confidence in the company they worked for, Iger said. “Today, everywhere I turn I sense confidence and excitement about what lies ahead. So as I step away I do so with enormous gratitude and real optimism. I believe deeply in this company’s future, because I believe in Josh D’Amaro and the people who will help him shape it next.” 

Pictured left to right, chairman James Gorman, CEO Josh D’Amaro, Dana Walden, president and chief creative officer and Bob Iger, former CEO.