Kathleen Kennedy Denies Retirement, Reveals Star Wars Succession Plan

Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy has directly addressed rumors about her potential retirement in 2025.

Earlier this week, Puck News reported that the veteran film producer plans to step down when her contract expires this year. The outlet also stated that Kennedy had previously contemplated retiring in 2024 but postponed her final decision.

While Variety cited a source close to Kennedy who dismissed the story as "pure speculation," The Hollywood Reporter corroborated the initial report.

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Kennedy has now responded personally. According to Deadline, she is collaborating with Disney CEO Bob Iger on a succession plan after 13 years in her role, with Star Wars Rebels creator and current Lucasfilm Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni reportedly a leading candidate. However, Kennedy firmly stated: "The truth is, and I want to be perfectly clear, I am not retiring."

"I will never retire from filmmaking," she continued. "I intend to work in movies until the very end. That is the most important point to make. I am not stepping down."

Kennedy confirmed that Lucasfilm plans to announce a succession "months or a year from now," but she remains "committed to staying at Lucasfilm" for the time being. Her ongoing responsibilities include producing the upcoming Mandalorian film and a Star Wars movie directed by Shawn Levy of Deadpool & Wolverine fame.

It appears that preparations are underway for Kennedy to eventually transition out of her role as president, though this does not signal her departure from the company or retirement from the industry.

"I won't be here indefinitely," she acknowledged. "George [Lucas] asked me to take over 13 years ago, and now I'm evaluating potential successors. We have a strong internal team ready to manage both business and creative affairs. The role has also expanded significantly since I started—streaming and other ventures we're involved in today didn't exist back then. The scope has grown considerably."

Kennedy also refuted suggestions that she was being "pushed out" or "needed to be replaced," calling such claims "completely untrue" and "far from reality." During her tenure, she oversaw the production of the sequel trilogy (Episodes 7-9) and launched Star Wars into the streaming era with series like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Andor, Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, and The Acolyte. While films like Star Wars: The Force Awakens were major commercial successes, others, such as Solo: A Star Wars Story, were financially disappointing and received mixed reactions.

When Deadline pressed Kennedy on whether she will step down as Lucasfilm president this year, she replied that she is uncertain "at this point" but affirmed the decision will be "100% mine." She declined to comment on Filoni's potential candidacy for the position.