Disney Layoffs Begin: Josh D’Amaro Starts Tenure With 1,000 Job Cuts

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This week’s layoffs at Disney are causing significant disruption throughout the company. Around 1,000 employees are affected by a major reorganization that impacts departments like marketing and even Marvel.

As reported by TheWrap, the company is making significant cuts, including eliminating entire publicity teams and its home entertainment division, as well as numerous digital marketing positions. These changes represent one of the most substantial internal overhauls the company has seen in recent years.

And notably, these layoffs are unfolding just weeks into Josh D’Amaro’s tenure as CEO.

Layoffs Hit Marketing, Marvel, and Entire Divisions

The scope of these Disney layoffs is significant.

The company reduced its workforce by around 20 positions in publicity. They also completely eliminated their home entertainment team and shut down the department responsible for electronic press kits. Several digital marketing roles, including those held by senior leaders, were also cut.

The impact wasn’t limited to marketing.

As a big fan of Marvel, I was really saddened to hear about the recent changes. It seems they’ve been making cuts in a lot of areas – everything from the movies and TV shows they create, to the comic books, and even departments like finance and legal. Disney did say reports of an 8% workforce reduction weren’t quite accurate, but they confirmed these layoffs are part of a larger plan to streamline things and operate more efficiently. It’s tough to see, but hopefully it will allow Marvel to continue creating the stories we all love.

The reasoning was a reduced production slate.

Marvel used to create a lot of content for Disney+, but now they’re focusing on making fewer projects and being more careful with their spending, following some expensive flops.

A Reset Under Josh D’Amaro — Or a Cleanup Job?

The timing of these cuts raises immediate questions.

Josh D’Amaro has only recently become CEO, so it’s hard to say these layoffs are a result of his decisions. The cuts seem to stem from choices made earlier by Bob Iger, before D’Amaro took the lead.

As a big Disney fan, I’ve noticed a huge shift in their strategy lately. For a while there, they were pumping out tons of new shows and movies, especially with Disney+ launching, and everything seemed geared towards growing their streaming services. But now, it feels like they’re hitting the brakes. They’re really focusing on being more efficient and streamlining things instead of just constant expansion. It’s a bit of a change of pace, but they’re saying it’s what’s best for the company right now.

In other words, this looks less like a new strategy and more like a correction.

Dana Walden’s Previous Divisions in the Crosshairs

Importantly, a lot of the areas impacted are already part of Disney’s overall entertainment and marketing organization.

Dana Walden is currently President and Chief Creative Officer of Disney Entertainment. Before this role, she led a significant part of Disney’s television and content as a co-chair of Disney Entertainment.

Marketing and publicity teams often work closely with content leaders, though they aren’t directly part of that team. However, the success and growth of content divisions depend heavily on effective marketing and publicity.

That raises an uncomfortable question.

Given the significant cuts being made to Disney’s entertainment divisions, it raises questions about how efficiently those divisions were managed before this reorganization.

And more pointedly—why elevate leadership from that structure while simultaneously downsizing it?

It’s important to note that we don’t have proof Walden directly managed every team impacted by the changes, especially within marketing, which has been restructured several times recently. Still, the close relationship between content planning, how much content is being created, and the overall marketing effort strongly suggests a connection.

Disney’s Push for a “More Technologically-Enabled Workforce”

In a message to staff, D’Amaro explained the job cuts are part of a plan to update the company and build a workforce that’s more flexible and uses the latest technology.

Disney appears to be moving forward with plans to use more automation, digital technology, and streamlined operations, a direction they’ve hinted at for some time.

However, the large number of layoffs – and the fact that whole teams are being removed – suggests a much more significant change than just making things more efficient.

The Bigger Picture

The recent Disney layoffs aren’t simply about saving money. They show the company is slowing down its push into streaming and working to become more stable after a period of fast growth.

This situation could significantly shape how people view Josh D’Amaro’s leadership. However, the problems causing it seem to stem from choices made before he became leader, and responsibility for those decisions likely falls to Bob Iger.

With Disney changing how it’s organized and rethinking its plans, it’s evident that the period of rapid, unrestricted growth under Bob Iger has come to an end.

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2026-04-15 16:58