Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has addressed recent reports suggesting her retirement from the company in late 2025. Earlier reports in Puck News claimed 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 the claims.

Kennedy herself has now responded, clarifying her position to Deadline. She confirmed collaboration with Disney CEO Bob Iger on a succession plan, acknowledging Dave Filoni, creator of Star Wars Rebels and Lucasfilm's current chief creative officer, as a strong potential successor. However, she 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 future succession plans and an eventual announcement regarding her replacement (potentially months or a year away), Kennedy confirmed her continued presence at Lucasfilm. This includes overseeing production of the upcoming Mandalorian movie and a Star Wars film directed by Shawn Levy. She emphasized that while she won’t remain in her current role indefinitely, the decision to step down will be entirely hers.

Kennedy refuted suggestions of being pushed out or needing replacement, stating that this was "absolutely not the case" and "could not be further from the truth." Her tenure has overseen the sequel trilogy (Episodes VII-IX), and the launch of the successful Star Wars streaming era, encompassing shows like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Andor, Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, and The Acolyte. While some projects have achieved blockbuster success (like Star Wars: The Force Awakens), others have faced mixed reception or financial challenges (such as Solo: A Star Wars Story).

When directly questioned by Deadline about stepping down this year, Kennedy responded that she didn't know "at this stage," but reiterated that the decision would be "100% my decision." She declined to comment on whether Filoni was the frontrunner for her position.

20 Images