After weeks of speculation about Kathleen Kennedy and her rumored retirement Lucasfilm, Deadline has now published an exclusive interview in which Kennedy flatly denies she is leaving anytime soon. This comes after Puck first reported that Disney was planning for her departure by the end of 2025, with The Hollywood Reporter and Variety following suit.
Now, Kennedy is pushing back, stating in no uncertain terms: “I will die making movies.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 23: (L-R) Alan Bergman, Co-Chairman, Disney Entertainment, Kathleen Kennedy, President, Lucasfilm, Leslye Headland and Asad Ayaz, Chief Brand Officer, The Walt Disney Company and President, Marketing, The Walt Disney Studios and Disney 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)
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That statement may sound definitive, but as with many Hollywood narratives, the reality is more complicated.
While Kennedy insists she’s not stepping down, she does confirm that Disney and Lucasfilm have been working on a succession plan for years, something that would only be necessary if a leadership transition was indeed on the horizon. Meanwhile, Deadline’s reporting reads more like a public relations push than an independent piece of journalism, seeking to reframe the discussion in Kennedy’s favor.
So, what’s really happening? Is Kathleen Kennedy holding firm at Lucasfilm, or is this just damage control before an inevitable retirement and transition?
Kennedy’s Defiant Response: “I Am Not Retiring”
Kathleen Kennedy was quick to dismiss the growing speculation about her retirement, telling Deadline: “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.”
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 07: Kathleen Kennedy onstage during 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 Kate Green/Getty Images for Disney)
When asked about rumored chaos in Lucasfilm, she also took issue with the idea that the studio is in a state of turmoil, saying: “Chaos? There has never been any chaos because we know exactly what the plan is.”
This statement flies in the face of the well-documented production of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, which famously launched without a definitive plan, granting full creative control to JJ Abrams and Rian Johnson who used the films in their own personal thumb wrestling match.
Kennedy’s comments reveal contradictions that raise more questions than they answer.
- She admits that she has been in discussions with Disney CEO Bob Iger and studio head Alan Bergman about a transition plan for years.
- She confirms that an announcement about Lucasfilm’s leadership will be made “months or a year down the road.”
- She acknowledges that she is actively involved in choosing a successor and has been “in lockstep” with Disney on the matter.
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 07: (L-R) Ali Plumb, Kathleen Kennedy, Leslye Headland, Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, guest, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen Fernandez, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean Charles Chapman, and Joonas Suotamo attend the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London at ExCel on April 07, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Kate Green/Getty Images for Disney)
If her exit isn’t happening, why is there already a plan in place?
Kennedy also doubles down on her control of the succession process, stating: “It’s my decision. This is 100% my decision.”
That sounds confident, but in a corporate structure as large as Disney, no executive fully controls their own exit. Disney is a publicly traded company with shareholders to answer to, and Iger has already signaled that Lucasfilm’s performance needs improvement.
Kathleen Kennedy may claim she’s not going anywhere, but the fact that succession planning is already underway tells a different story that points to an eventual retirement.
Why Did Deadline Publish This Now?
The tone of Deadline’s interview is notable for how aggressively it pushes back against the reports from Puck and other Hollywood trades. The opening lines attack Puck’s Matt Belloni, accusing him of being on a personal crusade against Kennedy and mocking those speculating about her successor.
This defensive posture raises a key question: Was this interview an independent journalistic piece, or was it orchestrated as a damage control effort by Lucasfilm’s PR team?
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 07: Kathleen Kennedy onstage during the Andor studio panel at the Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London at ExCel on April 07, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Kate Green/Getty Images for Disney)
Hollywood trades like The Hollywood Reporter and Variety typically don’t run major stories about leadership changes without inside information. Studios often use these publications to float news before making official announcements. If the rumored Kathleen Kennedy retirement was completely fabricated, why haven’t Disney or Lucasfilm issued an outright denial through official channels? Why is it that Kennedy ran to Deadline, an outlet that has been notoriously friendly to her and described her as a “first ballot hall of famer” to get her message across?
It’s notable that the best pushback comes in the form of a friendly interview in which Kennedy controls the narrative. That doesn’t read like a confident, stable leadership position—it reads like an attempt to shift the conversation.
Lucasfilm’s Future: A Studio in Transition
While Kennedy maintains that all is well at Lucasfilm, the company’s recent history tells a different story.
- A string of failed or delayed films: Kennedy has announced multiple Star Wars projects that never materialized, including films from Rian Johnson, Patty Jenkins, Kevin Feige, and David Benioff & D.B. Weiss. The only movies currently moving forward are The Mandalorian & Grogu, and supposedly James Mangold’s Jedi origin film, along with a project by Shawn Levy, which remains in early stages.
- The decline of Star Wars on Disney+: The Mandalorian was once a juggernaut, but its third season saw diminished enthusiasm. Meanwhile, The Acolyte failed to capture audiences and was quietly canceled, while Skeleton Crew is struggling to gain traction.
- A rushed release strategy for Andor Season 2: Instead of a traditional weekly rollout, Disney is airing three episodes at a time over just four weeks—an approach that suggests low confidence or a desire to inflate viewership numbers for short-term streaming rankings.
- Rey Movie Mayhem: Kennedy’s pet project, a new movie based around Rey from the Star Wars sequel trilogy has been through four writers with no start point in sight.
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 07: (L-R) Daisy Ridley, Kathleen Kennedy and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy attend 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)
Kennedy is still publicly attached to projects like The Mandalorian movie and the films by Mangold and Levy, but the broader trajectory of Lucasfilm suggests that her influence is waning. If Disney truly wanted her to remain in charge for the foreseeable future, why is a leadership transition already being discussed internally?
Who Takes Over Lucasfilm?
With Kennedy acknowledging that a replacement will eventually be named, speculation about her successor is growing.
One of the most frequently mentioned names is Dave Filoni, the current Chief Creative Officer of Lucasfilm. Filoni has been involved in Star Wars storytelling for years, first under George Lucas with The Clone Wars and later with The Mandalorian and Ahsoka.
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 08: Dave Filoni attends the Ahsoka panel at Start Wars Celebration 2023 in London at ExCel on April 08, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Disney)
However, Filoni is not the only contender. Other internal Lucasfilm executives could be in consideration, and Disney may even look outside the company for fresh leadership.
Whoever takes over will have the difficult job of restoring audience trust in Star Wars and bringing a more structured approach to Lucasfilm’s production strategy—something that has been sorely lacking under Kennedy.
Final Thoughts: Kennedy’s Words vs. Reality
Kennedy may claim she is not retiring, but her own statements confirm that succession planning is in motion.
The contradiction is clear:
- She denies that Lucasfilm is in turmoil while admitting that she has been discussing leadership changes with Disney for years.
- She claims to be in control of her own future, yet acknowledges that an official announcement about new leadership will come within a year.
- Deadline’s defensive coverage suggests a carefully managed PR effort rather than an organic denial.
At this point, the real question is not if Kennedy will leave, but when. The process is already underway, and Disney’s actions suggest they are preparing for a transition.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 15: Kathleen Kennedy arrives at the special 3-episode launch event for Lucasfilm’s original series Andor at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on September 15, 2022. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
She may insist she’s not going anywhere, but Lucasfilm’s future appears to be heading in a different direction—one that might not have her at the helm for much longer.
Do you believe reports about a Kathleen Kennedy retirement, or have you given up hope at seeing a Star Wars galaxy without her anytime soon? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
SW fans: damn it woman, you can only disappoint
She is worse than herpes…. It always come back and refuses to leave….
She will die announcing movies.
Star Wars is dead and Darth Kennedy killed it. Even if she were kicked out, nothing will change because *Disney* still owns Lucasfilm and will replace her with someone just as bad if not worse. I don’t even consider anything created by them under her tenure canon to anything. SW movies ended with the PT, Last Crusade was the last true Indiana Jones film, and whatever their pushing on D+ is and always will be hater fiction by people just trying to ride the coattails of popular IPs.