Kathleen Kennedy says Dave Filoni taking over as Lucasfilm co-president has "been a 10-year mentoring process"

After Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan replaced her as president of Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy has revealed the duo was being prepped for the top job for a decade.

Kennedy became Lucasfilm president in 2012 and stepped down earlier this year. Filoni, chief creative officer and co-creator of Star Wars Rebels, The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and showrunner of The Clone Wars, took her spot along with Lynwen Brennan.

"It didn't just happen six months ago. I spent 10 years talking Dave into gradually stepping into live-action. He had so much experience in animation. He's so knowledgeable about Star Wars and loves it so much, it's really been a 10-year mentoring process for both of them," Kennedy told Variety at the Golden Reel Awards. "Lynwen came out of Industrial Light & Magic. She was my GM the entire time. I would argue that the transition has been really pretty seamless."

Filoni is also a co-writer and producer on the upcoming The Mandalorian and Grogu, and he created the next Star Wars release, Maul – Shadow Lord.

"My love of storytelling was shaped by the films of Kathleen Kennedy and George Lucas. I never dreamed I would be privileged to learn the craft of filmmaking from both of them," Filoni said when he took over the job. "From Rey to Grogu, Kathy has overseen the greatest expansion in Star Wars storytelling onscreen that we have ever seen. I am incredibly grateful to Kathy, George, Bob Iger and Alan Bergman for their trust and the opportunity to lead Lucasfilm in this new role, doing a job I truly love. May the Force be with you."

The Mandalorian and Grogu, meanwhile, is directed by Jon Favreau and sees Pedro Pascal return as his bounty hunter Din Djarin – who, this time, will be unmasked.

"When we got to that part, all I can say is that it made perfect sense, and it was what I was hoping would be the reason," Pascal said recently of removing his helmet. "If I were to pitch something, I would say, 'The only thing that makes sense is...' And that's exactly it. He filled that blank. I said immediately, 'Jon, that's exactly what I was hoping to hear!'"

The Mandalorian and Grogu arrives in theaters this May 22, while Maul – Shadow Lord hits Disney Plus on April 6. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows for everything else Lucasfilm has in the works.