Star Wars to replace Kathleen Kennedy with exactly who you'd expect

Big changes are on the way, Star Wars fans.

You may recall that earlier this year, it was reported that Kathleen Kennedy would be stepping down from her role as the president of Lucasfilm at the end of 2025 after 13 years in the position.

Lucasfilm, at the time, did not comment on the rumor, with the report coming from Puck News who cited three sources supposedly familiar with the departure.

Then, during April’s Star Wars Celebration event, Kennedy responded herself assuring fans she wasn’t going anywhere just yet.

But it seems her departure remains only a matter of time away.

In a new report titled ‘Inside Hollywood’s Succession Wars’ by The Hollywood Reporter, it’s once again being claimed that Kennedy will be retiring from the role in the near future.

And the most likely candidate to step into the role is, for better or worse, exactly who you’d expect.

Yes, it’s looking as if Dave Filoni may be our next Lucasfilm president.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, it’s looking like Lucasfilm is hoping to promote from within, although 20th Century head Emma Watts is also in contention for the role.

Within the Lucasfilm ranks, however, chief creative officer Dave Filoni appears to be the studio’s most obvious choice followed by production head Carrie Beck.

The report refers to Filoni as Lucasfilm’s “golden boy” and “a George Lucas protégé”.

As I’m sure you’re aware, Filoni rose to prominence writing and directing Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, before shifting over to work on Lucasfilm’s Disney Plus live-action output.

Filoni has writing credits on The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka.

He was not involved in The Acolyte or Andor, and only executive produced Skeleton Crew; the three strongest projects in recent years, if you ask me.

It’s for this reason that there are concerns surrounding Filoni taking on the promotion.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, there is concern that Filoni is too steeped in Star Wars’ lore to produce projects with mass appeal.

“He’s not the Andor guy, he’s the Ahsoka guy,” one Disney insider reportedly said.

That statement is far more reflective of my own concerns. Filoni tends to favour fan-service a tad too much for my liking; I’m far more interested in projects that dare to step away from Star Wars’ norms.

Beck, on the other hand, joined Lucasfilm in 2012, serving as a producer on many of the same projects as Filoni including the likes of Rebels, The Clone Wars, The Book of Boba Fett, The Mandalorian, and Ahsoka.

As such, the duo have very similar experience although Beck’s is perhaps more logistical compared to Filoni’s creative experience.

The Hollywood Reporter didn’t share any information on when the transition may take place but did theorise that Kennedy could stay on short term as a producer to aid a smooth transition.

Whatever Star Wars’ future holds, I simply hope it’s one that doesn’t lose the ambition of projects like Andor, The Acolyte and Skeleton Crew.

Please Lucasfilm, don’t just feed us cameo-based slop.