Marvel and Star Wars fans are looking forward to a massive weekend at the 2022 D23 Fan Expo, which should bring dozens of thrilling announcements from both Disney-owned universes. At the forefront of these new efforts is Disney CEO Bob Chapek, although he's been at the center of a number of issues with the company after taking over from previous head Bob Iger in early 2020.
Chapek recently signed a contract extension to remain in his position until at least 2025, which comes in the midst of some recent turmoil that's come to light thanks to his actions as Disney's CEO. From his handling of Scarlett Johansson's post-Black Widow lawsuit to the unexpected firing of former company chairman Peter Rice, the head executive has seemingly been on the hot seat with fans, critics, and internal staffers for some time.
Now, those feelings towards him have seemingly come to a head, as a video taken from D23 shows Chapek feeling the wrath of fans in his latest public appearance.
Fans Boo Disney CEO at D23
Twitter user @vanourneyjoe shared a video from Disney CEO Bob Chapek's appearance at the Disney Legends panel during the D23 Fan Expo, which began with him getting booed on stage.
As soon as Chapek began his speech during the ceremony, boos could be heard coming from the crowd in disapproval.
The full video can be seen below:
No Love Lost for Bob Chapek
Even though Bob Chapek has had a rough hand dealt to him, taking over Disney only weeks before the global pandemic hit hard, his decisions have left an impact on the fandom over the past couple of years. His handling of talent through Disney's temporary dual-release strategy didn't sit well with Marvel and Star Wars viewers, although that's far from the only thing that has riled viewers up.
Marvel Studios' President of Physical, Post Production, VFX, and Animation Victoria Alonso called out Chapek during the controversy surrounding Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill, which studio president Kevin Feige also addressed in the weeks after it became public. There are also reports of him and other executives mandating shorter runtimes for the MCU's movies, and although those haven't been confirmed, they only add to the feelings of discontent towards his tenure.
Hopefully, Chapek will be able to turn things around from a leadership perspective over the coming years, especially with Marvel and Star Wars both in for massive expansions. The MCU will add two new Phases of content to the Multiverse Saga before the end of 2025, and Star Wars has multiple series in the works while the movie division undergoes some retooling behind the scenes.
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