Kathleen Kennedy Denies Retirement, Reveals Star Wars Succession Plan

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has firmly addressed recent reports suggesting her retirement in 2025. Earlier this week, Puck News claimed that Kennedy, a veteran film producer, was planning to retire at the end of her current contract. They also noted that she had considered retiring in 2024 but postponed the decision. While Variety dismissed these claims as "pure speculation," The Hollywood Reporter confirmed the report.

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20 ImagesKennedy herself has now responded to these rumors. According to Deadline, she is collaborating with Disney CEO Bob Iger on a succession plan after 13 years in her role. Star Wars Rebels creator and current Lucasfilm chief creative officer Dave Filoni is reportedly a strong contender to succeed her. However, Kennedy was unequivocal in her statement: "The truth is, and I want to just say loud and clear, I am not retiring."

She further emphasized her commitment to filmmaking, stating, "I will never retire from movies. I will die making movies. That is the first thing that’s important to say. I am not retiring."

While acknowledging that Lucasfilm will eventually announce a succession plan "months or a year down the road," Kennedy confirmed she is "continuing to stay at Lucasfilm." She is set to produce the upcoming Mandalorian movie and a Star Wars film directed by Shawn Levy, known for Deadpool & Wolverine.

Kennedy’s comments suggest she is planning to step down from her position as president of Lucasfilm, but she is not leaving the company or the film industry. "I’m not going to be here forever," she remarked. "George [Lucas] asked me 13 years ago to step in, and now I’m looking at who’s going to replace me. And as I said, we have a bench of people internally to handle the business, the creative side. The job has grown also since I stepped in. There was no streaming, there weren’t a lot of the things that we’re involved in right now going on. So it has grown."

Kathleen Kennedy at the launch of Disney+ Star Wars show The Acolyte. Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney.

Kennedy also refuted any suggestions that she was being "pushed aside" or "in need of being replaced," calling such claims "absolutely not the case" and "could not be further from the truth." Under her leadership, Lucasfilm has produced the new sequel trilogy (Star Wars Episodes 7-9) and spearheaded the franchise's streaming ventures, including The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Andor, Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, and The Acolyte. While some projects like Star Wars: The Force Awakens have been blockbuster successes, others have been divisive, and films like Solo: A Star Wars Story have faced financial challenges.

When directly asked by Deadline if she would step down as Lucasfilm president this year, Kennedy responded that she did not know "at this stage," but assured that it would be "100% my decision." She did not confirm whether Filoni would take over her role.