Summary
- Kathleen Kennedy denies rumors of leaving Lucasfilm by end of 2025, vows never to retire from movies.
- Kennedy confirms upcoming projects she will lead, plans to play a coaching role for the next President.
- Potential successors to Kennedy include Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau, with uncertainties about the future of Star Wars under new leadership.
Allegations ran rampant last week that the President of Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy, could be leaving the job by the end of 2025. However, suspicions of Kennedy's departure have been spun by the internet rumor mill before. Now, Kennedy herself has stepped in to clear the air and debunk these claims, mentioning that her responsibilities in the company may not end with her retirement.
Kathleen Kennedy has overseen Star Wars' creative vision for film and television since she began working at Lucasfilm in 2012. With this being her thirteenth year at the company, Kennedy has been responsible for some of the most popular and controversial releases in the post-George Lucas era. Her credits include the Star Wars sequels: Episodes 7-9, and Disney's venture into the streaming sphere, with projects like The Mandalorian, Ashoka, The Book of Boba Fett, and Skeleton Crew. This period has been defined by her push for progressivism, inclusivity, and a greater expanded universe of Star Wars lore; often taking from the franchise's various novels, comics, and animated series in order to build a media empire that rivals that of the MCU.
One Old Kathleen Kennedy Promise For Star Wars Might Finally Be Getting Fulfilled
Fans of older Star Wars content might be getting a long overdue treat soon, but what happens to the present timeline?
Rumors surrounding her departure were initially mentioned in a Puck article. Matthew Belloni claimed that telltale signs of Kennedy's exit had begun to emerge, primarily because her husband was selling off their Malibu house and offloading their art. However, this report has since been proven to be dubious in its reliability with many conflicting sources of information being published in its wake. Variety claimed shortly after its publication that a source close to Kennedy had denounced the Puck article as pure speculation. Now, in an exclusive interview with Deadline, Mike Fleming Jr. Has allowed her to respond to the fervent speculation. Kennedy adamantly claimed: "I am not retiring. I will never retire from movies. I will die making movies." However, despite this strong response, she also mentioned that an ongoing process had been taking place over a number of years. Apparently, Kennedy has had several discussions with Disney CEO, Bob Iger, and Chairman of Disney Entertainment, Alan Bergman, about what an "eventual succession might look like."
Which Projects Will Kennedy Continue To Lead On?
In the near future, Kennedy has confirmed her role in a number of films: "I’m producing the Mandalorian movie right now, and I’m also producing Shawn Levy’s movie, which is after that." The President will also be handling the release of Star Wars' only upcoming project in 2025: Andor Season 2. This quieter scheduling slate for Lucasfilm would explain the multitude of presumptions made about Kennedy's retirement, as it would be the ideal time to transfer the reigns of power over to a fresh face. The returning success of Andor, Star Wars' attempt at a prestige drama, would also be an ideal way to finish her career at Disney; the series previously earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series in 2023, and is likely to sweep the awards season later this year. The release of any official news of a new Lucasfilm President has been given a broad timeline: "We'll probably make an announcement months or a year out". So, it does make sense that the selection of an heir would be publicized around this time.
Although someone else will eventually step into the job, Kennedy's influence in the sci-fi genre is far from being over. It seems that she is planning on maintaining key positions in upcoming Star Wars projects, whether or not she stays on as President. Whoever assumes control will have to contend with Kennedy as a coach, overseeing some form of transition period: "I have every intention of sticking around to help that person be successful". As a result, her reach may still extend into planned and, as of yet, unannounced upcoming installments, including the new Star Wars trilogy tipped to written and produced by Simon Kinberg.
Who Will Replace Kennedy?
The leading lights of the Star Wars brand since 2019 have been Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau, which makes them natural successors to the Presidency of Lucasfilm. However, neither producer has indicated whether they would be up for assuming control of the company. Any experienced Hollywood executive is not going to be inheriting a perfect situation. The Acolyte notoriously bombed earlier in 2024, and the untitled Rey movie is currently stuck in development hell; the film has been indefinitely delayed and is in dire need of a strong, new direction. Whatever Disney has planned for Lucasfilm in 2026 and beyond, Kathleen Kennedy will seemingly continue to shepherd Star Wars for the foreseeable future.
