Where Streams Come True

Disney CEO Bob Iger is going out on one last huge bet.

- By Devin Leonard

Long before he became chief executive officer of Walt Disney Co. in 2005, Robert Iger developed a habit of waking up on weekdays at 4:15 a.m. and working out. Lately he’s been getting up around that hour on weekends, too, to exercise and watch early versions of his studios’ movies and television shows. He’s been obsessing over the first season of The Mandalorian, a space western from the Star Wars universe created by actor-director Jon Favreau. The show is about a bounty hunter whose armor bears a distinct resemblance to that of Boba Fett, who captured Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back.

“I’ve probably seen each episode of The Mandalorian three times,” Iger says. “First, to give some notes. Second, to see the rough cut and the impact of the notes. And now, just recently, I watched all the final cuts so that I could be blown away by how it looks.” Disney is spending more than $100 million on the show, so it had better be visually stunning and then some.

If you want to see The Mandalorian, you’ll have to sign up for Disney+, which launches on Nov. 12. Disney has promised the family-focused streaming service will feature at least 25 new TV shows and 10 new movies in its first year, along with a huge archive encompassing everything from Mickey Mouse’s first appearance, in 1928’s Steamboat Willie, to the contemporary adventures of The Avengers to the interstellar Star Wars canon. It’s the most important product launch in Iger’s 15 years as CEO.