Kathleen Kennedy Addresses Retirement Rumors, Reveals Star Wars Succession Strategy

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has addressed recent reports suggesting her retirement at the end of 2025. Earlier this week, Puck News claimed that the seasoned film producer was set to retire upon the conclusion of her contract this year, noting that she had previously considered retiring in 2024 but delayed the decision. While Variety reported a source close to Kennedy dismissing the story as "pure speculation," The Hollywood Reporter confirmed the report.

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20 ImagesIn response, Kennedy clarified her stance to Deadline, emphasizing that she is collaborating with Disney CEO Bob Iger on a succession plan after 13 years at the helm. She highlighted that Star Wars Rebels creator and current Lucasfilm chief creative officer Dave Filoni is in a "strong position" to potentially take over. However, Kennedy firmly stated, "The truth is, and I want to just say loud and clear, I am not retiring."

She added, "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." Kennedy confirmed that while Lucasfilm intends to make an announcement about her succession "months or a year down the road," she will continue her role at the company. This includes producing upcoming projects like the Mandalorian movie and a Star Wars film directed by Shawn Levy, known for Deadpool & Wolverine.

It appears that Kennedy is preparing to step down from her current position as president of Lucasfilm, but she is not leaving the company or retiring from the film industry. She remarked, "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. 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."

Kennedy also refuted claims of being "pushed aside" or "in need of being replaced," stating that such notions were "absolutely not the case" and "could not be further from the truth." Her tenure has been marked by overseeing the new sequel trilogy (Star Wars Episodes 7-9) and the inception of Star Wars' streaming era, including hits like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Andor, Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, and The Acolyte. While some projects like Star Wars: The Force Awakens were blockbuster successes, others have been divisive, and films like Solo: A Star Wars Story faced financial losses.

When Deadline directly inquired if she would step down as Lucasfilm boss this year, Kennedy responded that she did not know "at this stage," but affirmed that any decision would be "100% my decision." She remained non-committal about whether Filoni would assume the top job.