Yesterday Puck reported that Kathleen Kennedy is set to step down as Lucasfilm president later this year and as expected, some fans celebrated the news, some outright refused to believe the reports, others started championing Dave Filoni to become her successor, and that is the biggest question remaining, not if the reports are true, not when Kennedy will actually step down, but who will succeed her.
I want to address those in my replies, comment sections and messages claiming that the story is a non-starter and these rumours rear their heads every year. Yes, there’s constantly rumours that Kennedy is stepping down, retiring, or more commonly, getting fired. However, these rumours are simply that, rumours and they are rumours with no credibility behind them. Typically these rumours come from YouTube channels who are frustrated with modern day Lucasfilm and social media users that have abysmal track records. This report came from Matt Belloni at Puck, a reputable journalist, somebody who’s certainly not making YouTube thumbnails of Kennedy with glowing red eyes claiming she’s been ousted at Lucasfilm. What’s even more telling is how the Hollywood trades picked up the report from Puck and later began releasing speculative articles as to who could replace Kennedy.
I understand not everybody taking in the news on social media or YouTube will have a grasp on who or what outlet to believe and this is just the annual rumour. But this is not that, this isn’t some YouTuber claiming she’s been fired and eighty year old George Lucas is returning to replace her or that she’s already been let go by Disney ahead of the release of Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny, but she’ll either be let go before or after the release of that film. This is a reputable outlet and journalist that ran a report and the Hollywood trades, Deadline, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter covered, credited and proceeded to make articles discussing her possible departure and those that could replace her. The trades wouldn’t be doing this over some apparent ‘scooper’ on X with a blue badge making the claim.
Speaking of scoops, Jeff Sneider of TheInseider, another reputable journalist, shared late last year via his newsletter that Kennedy would be leaving her Lucasfilm president position in 2025. Sneider expanded on what he had previously heard today regarding Kennedy’s departure, adding that Kennedy was quietly seeking financing for an AI focused production company, but that due to volatility of the marketplace, financing didn’t happen for the project and she signed an extension to keep her at the top at Lucasfilm. Sneider also added that though Kennedy is retiring from Lucasfilm, she won’t be retiring from the industry and likely would start her own production company.
CNN shared that a source informed them that “there’s nothing there right now” regarding Kennedy stepping down and that any announcement of Kathleen Kennedy’s retirement as Lucasfilm president will only be made public when “actual decisions are made.” Personally I take this as nothing is happening until the I’s are dotted and the T’s are crossed at Disney and Lucasfilm – nothings happening until it’s official.
As mentioned earlier in the article, the trades have released various speculative pieces on who will become the new president of Lucasfilm. As expected, those names include Jon Favreau, creator of The Mandalorian and Dave Filoni, Lucasfilm’s chief creative officer. Additional names listed include Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige, JJ Abrams, Emma Watts (former president of 20th Century Fox), Netflix’s animation head – Hannah Minghella and Peter Rice, the former chairman of Disney’s General Entertainment Content and former president of 20th Century Fox.
Before I cover what other outlets have been saying, I first want to give my own opinion on Favreau or Filoni or both becoming presidents of Lucasfilm. I would be legitimately shocked if Favreau took up the position, not because he’s incapable, but it really doesn’t align with everything I’ve heard about him in the many years that I’ve been covering Star Wars content. Filoni would not shock me in the slightest, I think he’d take the opportunity, though I’m not exactly thrilled with the idea and think it would be a lot for him to handle alone and I don’t think he’s cut out for it.
What if Lucasfilm went the way of DC Studios and have two people as the presidents like James Gunn and Peter Safran? I think this scenario is the best fit for somebody like Filoni. Filoni is a creative and he’ll get to explore that side and focus his efforts there, just as James Gunn does at DC, and the second part of the duo can act more on the managerial side of things like Peter Safran. If you had asked four years ago I might’ve been onboard with the idea of a Favreau and Filoni presidency, but today I’m not thrilled about the idea. I’d rather Favreau be in that position over Filoni, I think both would operate more on the creative side, but I believe if either of the two end up in the position, I think it could be Filoni. And not for nothing, but the way in which Favreau, Kennedy and company spoke about Filoni during the Lucasfilm Showcase at Star Wars Celebration in 2023, you’d have thought he was the second coming of George Lucas.
Personally I wouldn’t go the duo route, I’d turn my attention to Peter Rice or possibly even Emma Watts. If it has to be a duo then I’d personally skip Filoni altogether, though I keep getting the feeling that he will take up one of the positions. Rice and Filoni could work, I’d prefer that situation than Filoni being left alone at the top. However I think one name many of these lists aren’t including is Carrie Beck, the vice president of live-action at Lucasfilm.
It feels right, doesn’t it? Filoni and Beck ushering in the next era of Lucasfilm, both former stewards of Kennedy and have a working relationship already with both having high ranking positions at the studio. No matter the political climate, I don’t think Disney would want Lucasfilm to become a boys club and that’s why I don’t think we’ll see a male duo at the top and personally I could not care less about somebody’s gender, I just want the right person for the job. The Filoni appointment would come with much fanfare, if that got announced at Star Wars Celebration in April, the roof might come off.
Back to what the trades are saying on the matter of Favreau and Filoni. THR’s sources say that due to the role being more akin to that of a manager and not a creative, they believe that Jon Favreau would not want to become “an executive.” Sources tell THR that Filoni is seen as Disney’s choice to succeed Kennedy and predict that an announcement of his appointment could occur at Star Wars Celebration in April. In addition, THR’s sources added that Filoni is seen as very far away from the manager/executive type and is looked at by some as the “TV guy” with a great wealth of knowledge, but would “be killed by both sides.”
Lucasfilm needs new blood, it needs fresh legs, it needs somebody to grab the bull by the horns and make some much needed changes to how things are run at the studio. Promoting two people at Lucasfilm to the top, if it is Filoni and Beck, I just worry that they’ll continue many of the ways Kennedy handled things. I’d like whoever steps in to look at everything that’s been announced and in development and not be afraid to kill certain projects, projects that have stalled out in development for years and Kennedy won’t cancel. I hope whoever takes over really gets to make their tenure their own, whether it fails or succeeds, there needs to be a worthwhile change.
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