Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has addressed recent reports suggesting her retirement from the company in late 2025. Earlier reports in Puck News claimed Kennedy planned to retire at the end of her contract this year, following a previous consideration of retirement in 2024. While Variety disputed the claims as speculation, The Hollywood Reporter corroborated the initial report.
Kennedy herself has now clarified the situation. According to Deadline, she is collaborating with Disney CEO Bob Iger on a succession plan after thirteen years at the helm. Dave Filoni, creator of Star Wars Rebels and Lucasfilm's current chief creative officer, is reportedly a strong contender to succeed her. However, Kennedy emphatically stated, "The truth is, and I want to say this loud and clear, I am not retiring. I will never retire from movies. I will die making movies."
While acknowledging Lucasfilm intends to announce a succession plan in the coming months or year, Kennedy confirmed her continued presence at Lucasfilm, overseeing projects including the upcoming Mandalorian movie and a Star Wars film directed by Shawn Levy. She clarified that her eventual departure is a planned transition, not a forced exit. "I’m not going to be here forever," she stated. "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 claims of being pushed out or needing replacement, calling them "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 by Deadline if she would step down as Lucasfilm president this year, Kennedy responded that she didn't know "at this stage," but confirmed the decision would be "100% my decision." She declined to comment on whether Filoni was the frontrunner for the position.
