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 the veteran film producer was set to retire at the end of her contract this year, having previously considered stepping down in 2024. While Variety dismissed the story as "pure speculation," The Hollywood Reporter corroborated the report.

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20 ImagesKennedy has now provided her own statement, clarifying her position. 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 in a strong position to succeed her. However, Kennedy made it clear: “The truth is, and I want to just say loud and clear, I am not retiring.”

She further emphasized her dedication 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 Kennedy acknowledged that Lucasfilm plans to make an announcement about succession "months or a year down the road," she confirmed her continued commitment to the company. This includes producing the upcoming Mandalorian movie and a Star Wars film directed by Shawn Levy, known for Deadpool & Wolverine.

Kennedy's comments suggest that she is preparing to transition from her role as president of Lucasfilm, but she is not leaving the company or the film industry. "I’m not going to be here forever," she noted. "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/Gettty Images for Disney.

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

When asked directly by Deadline if she would step down as Lucasfilm boss this year, Kennedy responded that she did not know "at this stage," but emphasized that any decision to step down would be "100% my decision." She remained non-committal about Filoni's potential ascension to the top job.