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

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has addressed recent reports suggesting her retirement in late 2025. Earlier reports in Puck News indicated she was planning 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 them.

Kennedy herself has now responded, clarifying her intentions. According to Deadline, she is collaborating with Disney CEO Bob Iger on a succession plan after 13 years at the helm. Dave Filoni, creator of Star Wars Rebels and Lucasfilm's chief creative officer, is 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 intends to announce a succession plan in the coming months or year, Kennedy confirmed her continued involvement at Lucasfilm, including producing the upcoming Mandalorian movie and a Star Wars film directed by Shawn Levy. She emphasized that her departure, when it happens, will be her own decision, stating, "I’m not going to be here forever… it would be 100% my decision." She also refuted claims of being pushed out, calling them "absolutely not the case" and "could not be further from the truth."

Kennedy's tenure has overseen the sequel trilogy (Episodes VII-IX), and the launch of the Star Wars streaming era, encompassing shows like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Andor, Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, and The Acolyte. While some projects, like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, achieved blockbuster success, others have faced mixed reception, and some, such as Solo: A Star Wars Story, experienced financial losses.

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 entirely hers. She declined to comment on whether Filoni was the frontrunner for the president's role.

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