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 Kennedy 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 claims.

Kennedy herself has now responded, clarifying her intentions to Deadline. She confirmed working with Disney CEO Bob Iger on a succession plan after thirteen years at the helm, with Dave Filoni, creator of Star Wars Rebels and Lucasfilm’s current chief creative officer, reportedly a strong contender for her position. However, 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."

While acknowledging Lucasfilm’s intention to announce a successor 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 emphasized that her eventual departure would be entirely her decision, stating, "I’m not going to be here forever…George [Lucas] asked me 13 years ago to step in, and now I’m looking at who’s going to replace me." She also highlighted the significant growth of Lucasfilm since she took the position, citing the expansion into streaming and other new ventures.

Kennedy refuted claims of being pushed out or needing replacement, stating this was "absolutely not the case" and "could not be further from the truth." Her tenure has overseen the sequel trilogy (Episodes VII-IX), the launch of the successful Star Wars streaming era (including The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Andor, Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, and The Acolyte), as well as both critically and commercially successful films like Star Wars: The Force Awakens and some more divisive projects.

When directly asked by Deadline if she would step down this year, Kennedy responded that she didn't know "at this stage," but reiterated that the decision would be "100% my decision." She declined to comment on whether Filoni was the frontrunner for the top job.