According to The Hollywood Reporter, studio insiders say Lucasfilm is likely to promote from within, with Dave Filoni and Carrie Beck expected to succeed Kathleen Kennedy in a shared leadership role. The move would mark the end of Kennedy’s tenuous decade-plus tenure atop the Star Wars franchise, as Disney looks to course-correct after years of inconsistent results.
Despite ongoing speculation about external candidates, like former 20th Century Fox executive Emma Watts, the report says the “current thinking” inside Lucasfilm is that Filoni and Beck will take co-head roles. The idea, according to insiders cited by THR, is to pass the reins to longtime veterans familiar with the franchise’s DNA, rather than bring in an outside voice.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 23: Kathleen Kennedy, President, Lucasfilm attends the launch event for Lucasfilm’s new Star Wars series The Acolyte at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on May 23, 2024. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
“Lucasfilm remains, in many ways, a family business,” THR wrote. “And as a George Lucas’s protégé, Filoni long has been considered a golden boy.”
Filoni, who currently serves as Chief Creative Officer, rose to prominence under George Lucas’s mentorship during the development of The Clone Wars animated series. Since then, he has become a defining creative force at Lucasfilm, with credits on Star Wars Rebels, The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and other streaming-era series.
While fans of his animated work were initially thrilled to see Filoni step into a larger role at Lucasfilm, the floundering of projects overseen by Filoni as Chief Creative Officer of Lucasfilm have led many to doubt his abilities.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 23: (L-R) Leslye Headland, Dave Filoni, Chief Creative Officer, Lucasfilm and Kathleen Kennedy, President, Lucasfilm attend the launch event for Lucasfilm’s new Star Wars series The Acolyte at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on May 23, 2024. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
During Filoni’s tenure as Chief Creative Officer, Star Wars has seen notable critical and commercial bombs like The Acolyte (which went into production before Filoni took the reigns, however, Lucasfilm claimed that Filoni approved the scripts), Skeleton Crew, Tales of The Empire, and Tales of the Underworld.
Filoni’s live action Ahsoka series and season 3 of The Mandalorian, which came out just before he took over as CCO, also received a lot of negative backlash from fans and independent critics.
Andor, Lucasfilm’s lone critical success in recent years, also came out under Filoni’s jurisdiction, but insider reports have alleged that showrunner Tony Gilroy was given creative freedom and worked directly with Kennedy, bypassing Filoni’s authority.
Cassian Andor in the trailer for Andor Season 1 – YouTube, Star Wars
Carrie Beck, currently Executive VP of Live Action Development & Production, has also been involved in nearly every major Star Wars project over the past decade. Her production credits include The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and the Emmy-nominated Clone Wars finale. She also played a key role in the development of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney Parks.
While both Filoni and Beck are trusted internally, neither has extensive experience producing feature films—a gap that may be mitigated by Kennedy remaining on as a producer for select projects during a transitional period. According to THR, this would allow for “quality control in the short term.”
The possible shift comes at a time when Lucasfilm is under growing pressure.
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 07: Kathleen Kennedy attends the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023 attends the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London at ExCel on April 07, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Disney)
After a string of box office hits earlier in Kennedy’s run (with diminishing returns over time) including The Force Awakens and Rogue One, the studio has struggled to maintain its theatrical momentum. Solo: A Star Wars Story underperformed significantly in 2018, becoming the first ever Star Wars theatrical flop. Since then, nearly every planned theatrical release has been delayed, canceled, or quietly shelved. Projects from Kevin Feige, Patty Jenkins, and Rian Johnson have all been removed from Disney’s release calendar.
The shift to streaming has also delivered mixed results. While The Mandalorian debuted to critical acclaim and helped launch Disney+, subsequent series have seen declining viewership and increased fan backlash. The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka all failed to maintain the momentum of earlier projects, and The Acolyte quickly became one of the most polarizing entries in franchise history before being canceled after a single season.
(L-R): Dave Filoni and Rosario Dawson on the set of Lucasfilm’s STAR WARS: AHSOKA, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
Multiple industry analysts have questioned Disney’s overall strategy with Star Wars, noting that the brand—once among the most valuable in entertainment—has not produced a theatrical release in over five years. That drought will continue into 2026 with the release of The Mandalorian and Grogu.
As I, and only I, reported MONTHS AGO, the current thinking, per THR today, is that Dave Filoni and Carrie Beck will eventually replace Kathleen Kennedy atop Lucasfilm. I expect this announcement to be made later this year. pic.twitter.com/wenwXoPcoD
— Jeff Sneider (@TheInSneider) June 4, 2025
According to Jeff Sneider of The Insneider, who first reported months ago that Filoni and Beck were being positioned as successors, the formal announcement could come later this year.
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 08: Dave Filoni onstage during the Ahsoka panel at the Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London at ExCel on April 08, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Kate Green/Getty Images for Disney)
For now, Kennedy remains in place, and Disney has not confirmed any changes. But as the studio faces mounting questions about its future and the value of its tentpole franchises, Lucasfilm’s internal recalibration appears to be well underway.
Do you think Dave Filoni and Carrie Beck will replace Kathleen Kennedy? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
They don’t have quality control now. How will they get it with new leadership?
And after Darth Kennedy finally fades into oblivion, nothing will change at Lucasfilm.
Especially pertaining to my wallet.
Look at “midnight cowboy”. Although, he’s more closely tied to Ratso Rizzo.
Putz
Well, replacing deranged woman with two deranged people is not a change at all…
One head is cut off, two heads will replace it… Where did we heard it again?