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

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

Kennedy has now directly refuted these reports, stating to Deadline that she is not retiring. She emphasized her continued commitment to filmmaking, declaring, "I will never retire from movies. I will die making movies."

Kennedy confirmed she is collaborating with Disney CEO Bob Iger on a succession plan, thirteen years into her tenure. Dave Filoni, creator of Star Wars Rebels and Lucasfilm's chief creative officer, is reportedly a strong contender for her position. However, Kennedy clarified that she is remaining at Lucasfilm, overseeing projects including the upcoming Mandalorian movie and a Star Wars film directed by Shawn Levy.

While acknowledging eventual succession plans and stating that she won't remain in her current role indefinitely, Kennedy stressed that the decision to step down will be entirely hers. She denied being pushed out or needing replacement, calling such suggestions untrue. Her leadership has overseen the sequel trilogy (Episodes VII-IX), the launch of the Star Wars streaming era (including The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Andor, Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, and The Acolyte), and various other projects. While some ventures, like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, achieved massive success, others have faced mixed reception or financial setbacks (such as Solo: A Star Wars Story).

When directly asked 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 entirely hers. She declined to comment on whether Filoni was the frontrunner for the position.

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