For over a decade, Lucasfilm leader Kathleen Kennedy has been the captain of Star Wars’ entertainment ship in a galaxy far, far away. From films like the very divisive Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker film to beloved series like The Mandalorian and Andor, it has been quite the complex adventure for fans and surely for Kennedy as well. Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Kathleen Kennedy is reportedly retiring and leaving Lucasfilm at the end of 2025.
It is not clear exactly when, or even if, this is happening this year. It is also not clear who her replacement will be whenever she does decide to step into retirement. Kennedy joined Lucasfilm back in 2012 alongside George Lucas as a co-chair for the organization. Soon after, Lucas left and Disney bought the company for $4 billion, which left Kennedy as its head. It’s hard to imagine the level of scrutiny and tough decision making that one must go through each day as the leader of a major entertainment company. But, after years of choices—some praised and others derided—it seems that Kathleen Kennedy is ready to hand the reins of Star Wars to someone else and leave Lucasfilm.
So far, there’s no word from her representatives nor from Lucasfilm to fully confirm this news. Of course, if it is true, the question on everyone’s minds becomes, who will replace Kathleen Kennedy as head of Star Wars? The Hollywood Reporter recently rounded up a list of top contenders. Of course, most of these choices are backed by nameless sources and their beliefs about the future of Star Wars, so there is a grain of salt involved. But according to THR and some of these insiders, some top choices include Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, and incredibly, Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige, or perhaps some combination of the above. Favreau and Filoni have both had a big hand in recent Star Wars releases, and, of course, Feige needs no introduction. Additional names shared are J.J. Abrams, who has had mixed Star Wars success in the past; Emma Watts, who was president of production at 20th Century Fox and led X-Men, among other things; and Hannah Minghella, a former Abrams/Bad Robot employee with an impressive resume.
With Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo coming up in April, we should be getting more news about the franchise’s future, including who may be its new leader.
Originally published on February 25, 2025.