Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy Responds to Retirement Reports, Confirms Star Wars Succession Plan

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has addressed recent reports suggesting her retirement in late 2025. Earlier reports in Puck News claimed she planned to retire at the end of her contract, following a previous consideration in 2024. While Variety dismissed the story as speculation, The Hollywood Reporter corroborated the claims.

Every Upcoming Star Wars Movie and TV Show

20 Images

Kennedy, in a statement to Deadline, clarified that she is actively collaborating with Disney CEO Bob Iger on a succession plan after thirteen years at the helm. While Dave Filoni, creator of Star Wars Rebels and Lucasfilm's chief creative officer, is reportedly a strong contender, Kennedy emphatically stated, “The truth is, and I want to just say loud and clear, I am not retiring. I will never retire from movies. I will die making movies.”

She confirmed Lucasfilm intends to announce a successor in the coming months or year, but emphasized her continued involvement with the company, including producing the upcoming Mandalorian movie and a Star Wars film directed by Shawn Levy. While acknowledging a future transition, she stressed that the timing remains her decision.

“I’m not going to be here forever,” she explained. “George [Lucas] asked me 13 years ago to step in, and now I’m looking at who’s going to replace me. The job has grown since I stepped in. There was no streaming, there weren’t a lot of the things that we’re involved in right now.”

Kennedy refuted suggestions of being pushed out, calling such claims “absolutely not the case” and “could not be further from the truth.” Her tenure has overseen the sequel trilogy (Episodes VII-IX), and the expansion of the Star Wars franchise into streaming with series like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Andor, Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, and The Acolyte. While some projects, like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, achieved blockbuster success, others have faced mixed reception, and some, such as Solo: A Star Wars Story, were financially unsuccessful.

When directly asked about stepping down this year, Kennedy responded that she didn't know "at this stage," but reaffirmed that the decision would be "100% my decision." She declined to comment on Filoni's prospects for the top job.