Disney CEO Bob Iger tries to defuse feud with Ron DeSantis

Disney CEO Bob Iger defended his decision to oust Isaac “Ike” Perlmutter and tried to defuse his company’s feud with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, according to Time.

In an extensive interview for the magazine’s 100 Most Influential People edition, Iger said Perlmutter’s dismissal “was a necessary step in the direction of us creating a more efficient company.”

Iger also weighed in on Disney’s dustup with DeSantis over control of Reedy Creek, a special tax district which encompasses the Orlando-based Disney World.

“I do not view this as a going-to-mattresses situation for us,” Iger told Time.

Iger has had a more difficult history with Perlmutter since the 80-year-old billionaire sold Marvel Entertainment to Disney in 2009.

Perlmutter had been pushing for friend and activist investor Nelson Peltz to join the Disney board before Iger returned last November to take the reins from his successor Bob Chapek.

The notoriously aggressive Perlmutter contacted Disney board members and senior execs six times from last August to November to urge Peltz to join the Mouse House’s board, according to a securities filing.

Peltz launched a proxy battle to install himself on the board after Iger’s return, vowing to slash costs and revamp Disney’s money-losing streaming business, as well as fix the company’s failed succession planning.

He withdrew his bid in February after Iger vowed to restructure, cut costs and likely restore Disney’s dividend.

The move put Perlmutter’s future in question ahead of the March 29 cuts in which the Mouse House slashed 7,000 jobs.

However, Iger denied the decision to get rid of Perlmutter was related to his support of Peltz.

“I’d rather not get into details about this one. … There was redundancy specific to the way Marvel was being managed,” Iger told Time.

Iger has also been dealing with the fallout from Chapek’s skirmish with DeSantis after Disney opposed the state’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” legislation banning school instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.

In late February, DeSantis appointed new board members to oversee the district in retaliation for the entertainment giant’s public stance.

Recently, the board members claimed their Disney-controlled predecessors pulled a fast one on them by stripping them of most of their powers before stepping aside.

This week, the governor ratcheted up the pressure by announcing that he is looking into the possibility of imposing fresh taxes on Disney hotels and property developments, and tolls on roads near its facilities in Florida.

The DeSantis-appointed board members have also floated a resolution that says they have “superior authority” over all land development decisions for the 27,000 acres (42 square miles, or about twice the size of Manhattan). The board is set to vote on the resolution next week.

“If the governor of Florida wants to meet with me to discuss all of this, of course, I would be glad to do that,” Iger told Time. “You know, I’m one that typically has respected our elected officials and the responsibility that they have, and there would be no reason why I wouldn’t do that.”