In what appears to be a continuation of Disney’s ideological agenda, Dana Walden has been promoted to the newly created role of President and Chief Creative Officer of The Walt Disney Company.
According to the official announcement, Walden will now oversee all storytelling across the company’s divisions.
This appointment is part of a broader leadership shakeup in which Josh D’Amaro replaces Bob Iger as CEO. With Walden’s elevation comes renewed controversy over her past statements about “inclusion” and content standards at Disney.
Walden Previously Admitted to Passing on Shows With White Families
Back in 2021, during a “Women in Focus” panel, Dana Walden made headlines after revealing that ABC, under her leadership, rejected multiple “well-written scripts” because they didn’t meet the company’s “standards in terms of inclusion.”
Specifically, she recalled turning down a show centered around a white family:
“I will tell you for the first time we received some incredibly well-written scripts that did not satisfy our standards in terms of inclusion, and we passed on them.”
Walden recalled her reaction to a script that centered around a white family:
“Pass. That’s not going to get on the air anymore because that’s not what our audience wants. That’s not a reflection of our audience, and I feel good about the direction we’re moving.”
Walden’s comments embracing a radical DEI framework that prioritizes identity politics over storytelling or merit is the definition of being woke.
DEI Policies Were Enforced Under Her Tenure at ABC
At the time, ABC also implemented strict inclusion policies under Walden’s watch.
A staff memo emphasized the company’s aim to transform both content and work environments by prioritizing race- and identity-based diversity initiatives (wokeness):
“These new guidelines are intended to make our content and our sets as inclusive as possible, and will serve as a further catalyst for real and sustained change. We want to take this moment to evaluate systems and habits in an effort to remove barriers to access and opportunity. It’s important for us to look around the room, see who’s not there, and then take the steps to not only bring them in, but also set them up for success.”
Disney’s Supposed Shift Away From DEI—But Walden’s Still in Charge
Recent reports suggest Disney is quietly backing away from its public-facing DEI agenda, replacing terms like “diversity” and “equity” with “belonging” and “talent strategy.”
This change is reportedly aimed at avoiding backlash and refocusing on profitability and content quality amid ongoing financial pressures as woke Disney has been a disaster for the company.
Still, promoting Walden—a vocal champion of DEI programming and policies—to the number two role at Disney, overseeing all storytelling across the company, signals that the company’s ideological direction may not be shifting as much as some hoped.
A New Title, Same Agenda?
Walden’s new position gives her creative oversight across the entire Disney empire. According to the company’s official statement, she will ensure that content “consistently reflect[s] the brand, engage[s] audiences at scale, and advance core business objectives, while driving enterprise-wide initiatives and translating vision into action.”
In short, Dana Walden is now Disney’s “head storyteller.” For many, this confirms that despite talk of change, the company’s priorities remain firmly rooted in the same activist approach to entertainment that has alienated large portions of its audience.
Evidence that things haven’t changed at Disney includes the recent news that a priority under Walden is to move the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise forward, which seems likely with or without Johnny Depp’s involvement.
The reboot is said to feature the son of Jack Sparrow, with fans already speculating that the role could be a DEI actor and character, and that it will star Margot Robbie.
