Despite always being a powerhouse studio, Disney has risen to incredible heights in recent years thanks to acquisitions such as Lucasfilm, Marvel, Fox, and Pixar. And while the studio has more money than it probably knows what to do with, it would appear that CEO Bob Iger isn’t on the hunt for another purchase. But if he was, he does have one franchise in mind.
Speaking to Time, after being named Businessperson of the Year, Bob Iger was asked if Disney had any plans on another big purchase in the near future. 2019 is probably going to go down as the year that the Mouse House finalized its deal to buy Fox, which led to the successful launch of Disney+ and the studio’s streaming future. But if Iger had his way, the next purchase wouldn’t be a rival studio. Instead, it’s a franchise that he likes quite a bit — James Bond.
“We’re not looking to buy anything right now,” he said. “But I’ve always been a huge James Bond fan.”
Of course, being a fan of something isn’t necessarily a sign that Iger is going throw money at ‘Bond’ mastermind Barbara Broccoli and entice her to sell (as he did with George Lucas and “Star Wars”), but it does tease a possibility that might scare certain film fans worried that Mickey Mouse is taking over the world.
Outside of ‘Harry Potter,’ ‘Lord of the Rings,’ and a few others, there aren’t many major blockbuster franchises out there that don’t fall under the Disney umbrella. And yes, one of those is definitely James Bond. The super spy has starred in two dozen films, with the 25th coming out next year.
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However, Disney isn’t normally in the business of buying properties at the height of their popularity. “Star Wars” was fairly dormant before the Mouse House purchased it, and Marvel was bankrupt when Iger saved the day. So, perhaps Disney is just waiting for “No Time to Die” to bomb? We shall see.
Pure speculation aside, James Bond does seem to be in pretty decent hands at the moment, so there probably aren’t many that would be praying for a Disney purchase.
“No Time to Die” arrives in theaters on April 8, 2020.