Disney is currently looking to find some new blood to succeed longtime CEO Bob Iger, and out of the possible candidates, EA’s Andrew Wilson is reportedly being considered for the role.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Disney is looking at bringing in external candidates, and Wilson’s name has appeared alongside other notable business persons like Disney Entertainment co-chairman Dana Walden, Disney parks chairman Josh D’Amaro, ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, and Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman.
EA has also had a long relationship with Disney, as the Star Wars games developed by the company have sold over 52 million copies combined and have generated more than $3 billion in revenue. Currently, EA is also working on new Star Wars and Marvel titles, like a Star Wars Jedi threequel, Iron Man, and Black Panther games.
Wilson has had a long history with EA, serving the company as its CEO since 2013 and as its chairman since 2021. He almost took over as ESPN chairman in 2018–the job ultimately went to Pitaro–and there were reports that Disney was considering purchasing EA during Bob Chapek’s reign as CEO. The race to replace Iger comes amidst a series of controversies surrounding the CEO.
While the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars have seen Disney rake in billions at the box office, the company has been criticized for relying heavily on sequels over original content, and She-Hulk star Tatiana Maslany slammed him for being “out of touch” with workers during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America strike.
Iger served as Disney CEO from 2005 until 2020 and continued as an advisor to his successor, Chapek. He returned to the position of CEO in November 2022, a role he’ll continue to serve in until his contract expires in 2026.