Disney bought Star Wars and Marvel, but one billion-dollar franchise slipped through its fingers

Ever wondered what Disney couldn’t buy, even after pinching up Marvel and Star Wars like it was nothing? Turns out, there was one jaw-dropping franchise that slipped through the Mouse House’s velvet-gloved fingers—and no, it’s not one anyone usually expects. The revelation came straight out of Bob Iger’s big ‘I’m leaving again’ interview, and honestly, it’s got a real alternate universe energy.

Disney’s Dream Shopping List

So, in a rare bit of executive candour, outgoing Disney boss Bob Iger sat down with the Financial Times (right around the time he finally packed in his second round as CEO, March 2026) and let slip that James Bond was on the original “must buy” list—up there with Marvel and Star Wars.

He put it pretty simply: ‘We put together a list of acquisition targets. Marvel was one, Star Wars was another, James Bond was one.’

Iger went on to describe that particular era at Disney as a sort of creative fever-dream, kicked off with the $7.4 billion dole-out for Pixar back in May 2006. That was, in his words, when ‘the clouds lifted and the sun started to shine again.’ In classic Iger style, he admitted, ‘We had a list and I figured let’s just tick them off and buy them all.’

Except, obviously, Bond wasn’t quite so easy to cross off.

Bond Goes Amazon, Not Disney

Here’s where it gets interesting. While Disney was happily stacking up its geek cred with superheroes and lightsabers, the Bond franchise ended up on a completely different train. Amazon became the new home for 007 when it picked up MGM in a bit of corporate Monopoly—so, not exactly a small move.

By February 2025, Amazon MGM Studios had secured full creative control over Bond. That meant the end of the era for Eon Productions’ Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, who’d been running the show since… well, forever.

Bond’s New Era: Who’s In Charge Now?

Amazon wasted no time shaking things up. Amy Pascal (yep, of Spider-Man and former Sony boss fame) and David Heyman (he of Harry Potter and Paddington success) are now overseeing the future of the Bond films.

• Director for Bond 26: Denis Villeneuve—yes, the Dune and Sicario Denis Villeneuve—has been officially tapped to direct the next Bond.
• Screenwriter: Steven Knight, who created Peaky Blinders, is on script duties for the upcoming film.
• Casting: Nina Gold (practically the royalty of UK casting) kicked off auditions for the new 007 in May 2026. No word yet who’s sipping the next martini, but you can bet every British actor under the age of 45 is sweating right now.

So, in a move that’ll probably keep Disney’s execs up at night, Bond—it turns out—was the one blockbuster brand they just couldn’t add to their empire.