Kathleen Kennedy has officially stepped down as the president of Lucasfilm after 14 years. The biggest question now for fans is what it means for the future of the Star Wars franchise.
It's been rumored for a long time that Kennedy has been negotiating an exit from the Disney-owned studio that is behind the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises. However, while her departure has been imminent, it still poses a big question about what's next for Star Wars and whether we should expect some creative overhaul from the new management.
What Does Kathleen Kennedy's Exit Mean for the Star Wars Franchise?
Kennedy is handing the reins of Lucasfilm to long-time veterans of the studio: Dave Filoni, who will handle the creative side, and Lynwen Brennan, who will handle the business side.
As long-time Star Wars fans know, Filoni has been involved in the franchise for decades and was George Lucas' apprentice. He is behind some of the beloved animated shows, including The Clone Wars and Rebels. Meanwhile, Brennan had been serving as Executive Vice President and General Manager of Lucasfilm.
So far, it remains to be seen what kind of impact this will have on the future of the Star Wars franchise, whether it will retain Kennedy's plans or if they will come up with a new creative plan. One thing's for sure is that more projects are likely to be developed or announced in the near future now that the new management has been set.
In an exit interview with Deadline, Kennedy shared updates on some of the Star Wars projects that are currently in development.
"Jim Mangold and Beau Willimon wrote an incredible script, but it is definitely breaking the mold, and it’s on hold. Taika [Waititi] has turned in a script that I think is hilarious and great. It’s not just my decision, especially when I’ve got a foot out the door," she said.
"Donald Glover has turned in a script. And as you have read, Steve Soderbergh and Adam Driver turned in a script written by Scott Burns. It was just great. Anything’s a possibility if somebody’s willing to take a risk."
As for the Simon Kinberg project, Kennedy said: "He wrote something that we read in August, and it was very good, but not there. We’ve pretty much upended the story, and then spent a great deal of time on the treatment, which he finished literally about four weeks ago. And it’s a very detailed treatment, like 70 pages. And so he is expected to give us something in March."
Now, it's up to Filoni and Brennan to decide what they will do with the existing Star Wars projects that are currently in development.
Is Kathleen Kennedy Still Involved in Upcoming Star Wars Movies?
Two Star Wars movies are currently slated for release: The Mandalorian and Grogu (May 2026) and Star Wars: Starfighter (May 2027). Kennedy is still involved as a producer in both projects.
"And so I’ll oversee a lot of those effect shots cut into Jon [Favreau]’s movie, and I’ll get myself re-immersed and get that finished. With Shawn [Levy]’s movie, this could go on, but it’s not our intention right now," she said of her involvement.
"We really made the movie as a stand-alone story. But you cannot ignore the fact that this young actor is so good. I will be very surprised if he doesn’t go on, and we don’t try to see if there might be future stories. But it was kind of nice not going into this and not having to think that way. We could just make a movie and tell a story."
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