The Walt Disney Company is preparing to cut up to 1,000 jobs in the coming weeks, with a significant portion of the reductions expected to hit its marketing division, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing sources familiar with the matter.

The layoffs would mark the first major round of cuts since the media and entertainment giant named Josh D’Amaro as its new chief executive officer in March 2026.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the plans for the job cuts were already in motion before D’Amaro assumed the chief executive role, meaning they were initiated under the tenure of outgoing CEO Bob Iger. D’Amaro, who previously served as chairman of Disney Experiences, succeeded Iger after a period of transition that included a succession race and a broader restructuring of the business.

Iger had returned to Disney in late 2022 for a second stint as chief executive, tasked with turning around the company following a period of declining stock performance and missed earnings expectations.

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The expected reductions are relatively limited in scale. According to multiple reports, the cuts are expected to affect less than one percent of Disney’s total global workforce, which stood at approximately 231,000 employees as of the end of fiscal year 2025. The full timeline and scope of the reductions have not been publicly announced, and Disney declined to comment on the layoff plans.

Central to the restructuring is an internal initiative codenamed Project Imagine, led by Asad Ayaz, Disney’s newly appointed Chief Marketing Officer. Ayaz began overseeing a newly created company-wide marketing organisation in January and is now working to consolidate Disney’s marketing operations, bring previously siloed teams under a more unified structure and reduce costs across the division.

The latest round of cuts adds to a significant body of workforce reductions at Disney in recent years. Since Iger returned to lead the company in 2022, Disney has already cut more than 8,000 roles, including a sweeping 2023 restructuring that eliminated 7,000 positions as part of a plan to cut $5.5 billion in costs.

The current reductions reflect a continued effort to improve operational efficiency and manage costs, particularly as the company navigates pressure across its streaming and broader media businesses.