NATIONWIDE — Bob Iger stepped down as CEO of The Walt Disney Company in late February, handing over the reins to Disney Parks, Experiences and Products chairman Bob Chapek.

Iger, who has been the company’s executive chairman ever since, had hoped to focus more on the company's "creative endeavors" until the end of his contract on December 31, 2021.

Iger “will direct the Company’s creative endeavors, while leading the Board and providing the full benefit of his experience, leadership and guidance to ensure a smooth and successful transition,” Disney said in a news release on February 25. 

But then the novel coronavirus began to spread around the world, leading to illnesses, deaths and lock downs. And the pandemic has hit Disney, one of the biggest media companies, hard.  In March, Disney delayed the theatrical releases of its big-budget films. It shuttered its domestic parks — Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California — indefinitely. Disney announced it would be furloughing thousands of employees.  

According to a report by the New York Times, Iger has become more hands-on as Disney navigates the crisis. Make no mistake, Chapek is still very much CEO of Disney. But Iger, who held the position for 15 years, is “actively helping” the company weather the storm.

“A crisis of this magnitude, and its impact on Disney, would necessarily result in my actively helping Bob (Chapek) and the company contend with it, particularly since I ran the company for 15 years,” Iger said in an email to NYT media columist Ben Smith.

In recent weeks, Iger has been giving interviews, talking about Disney’s future plans. Talking to Barron's about the theme parks in a post-coronavirus world, Iger hinted that changes could be implemented to make guests feel safer. One such change could be checking guests’ temperatures before they enter.

In the meantime, the company has taken a series of steps to help mitigate the impact.

Earlier this month, Disney disclosed that top executives would take pay cuts. Iger is forgoing his entire salary, while Chapek will take a 50 percent pay cut.

And after announcing plans to furlough non-essential workers at its parks, Disney World over the weekend reached an agreement with its largest union to furlough 43,000 workers. The workers will be able to keep their benefits.