Bob Iger Says Disney Will “Quiet the Noise” in “Woke” War Against Ron DeSantis

For months, The Walt Disney Company has been locking horns with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The governor did not like that Disney spoke out against a Florida bill that he championed. He then revoked Disney’s right to self-govern and passed a law that put the monorail under state inspection control. Disney, in turn, sued DeSantis for violation of its First Amendment Right to free speech.

However, the lawsuit is not the only battle being fought between the controversial governor and the House of Mouse. DeSantis frequently attacks Disney for being “woke”, saying that Florida is where “woke goes to die.”

Related: Enough Already! ‘Wokeness’ Aside, Stop Being Angry at Disney For Diverse Representation

Those who agree with DeSantis largely disagree with Disney showing more diversity in its theme parks, movies, and television shows. The company has also received blowback for being more open when it comes to its cast members. Disney recently began allowing cast members to express themselves in terms of tattoos and haircuts, as well as wearing the costumes they feel most comfortable in.

Disney CEO Bob Iger has stood by the company’s choice to support and represent all different types of people, including more “non-traditional families” and those with different gender identities and sexual orientations. The company has strived to make cast members feel welcome, no matter who they are or what they believe. Other Disney executives have even said that Disney will create even more diverse content in the coming years.

However, it looks like Iger may be backtracking on those beliefs.

Related: Should Iger Forget About Walt Disney World?

Iger and Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro recently spoke to investors about their plan to invest more than $60 billion in Disney theme parks over the next decade. But it wasn’t those plans that had people doing a double-take. It’s Iger’s comment that Disney is going to “quiet the noise” in its culture war with the conservative governor.

It is not the first time that Iger has said that he wants to make things better between Disney and Governor DeSantis. When he was brought back as Disney CEO in November 2022 — after Bob Chapek was fired — he said that he wanted to “work to quiet things down.” He just didn’t say what he meant by that.

Related: DeSantis Fans Can’t Seem to Quit “Woke” Disney

In the past, the governor has said that Disney has lost the trust of some parents because of the new content they are creating. DeSantis said that parents want to see the more traditional programming Disney was known for.

However, many have voiced their support for Disney’s new shows. They like that their children can see all different kinds of people, and more children are being people that look like them. Countless heartwarming videos have been made of young children being in awe of seeing characters on screen who represent them.

Related: “We’re Not Safe Here”, Another Company Suing Florida Over ‘Anti-Woke’ Laws

“Woke” content isn’t the only thing Ron DeSantis is hoping Disney will drop. He is also telling Disney to drop its First Amendment lawsuit against him. In an interview, he said that Disney should stop pursuing the case because he has “moved on.” Disney is showing no signs of backing down and seems to be looking forward to proving their case in court.

In the original lawsuit, Disney also accused the Florida Governor of breach of contract and violating the law by voiding contracts made between Disney and the former Reedy Creek board. Disney has amended its lawsuit and dropped the breach of contract claims. It is now solely focusing on its free speech claims.