After news broke that Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy is planning to retire by the end of 2025, talk has naturally turned to who her successor should be.
"One reason Kathy stuck around for so long is because there is no credible alternative," a source told The Hollywood Reporter. Kennedy has been in the post since 2012 after being handpicked by George Lucas and oversaw the launch of the sequel movie trilogy, as well as the expansion of the franchise into Disney Plus TV shows.
However, "what people don’t understand is that it’s not a creative job," a producer with ties to the franchise added. "That’s about 10 percent. The rest of it is dealing with Disney, licensing, and fans."
A few names are reportedly being floated around, though, including Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Kevin Feige. Favreau is the brains behind The Mandalorian and also directed the first two Iron Man movies for Marvel Studios, but "he won’t want to be an executive," a source predicted.
Another source says Filoni, who's currently Lucasfilm's chief creative officer, is Disney's top choice for the job, but someone else told the publication that "he’s a great resource of knowledge, but he’s ultimately a TV guy. He’ll be killed by all sides."
Many insiders reportedly think Marvel Studios boss Feige is the best person for the job, but he's already pretty preoccupied with the MCU. "He’s the only one that makes sense, but he needs to focus on Marvel," another Disney source told THR.
Next up on the big screen from the galaxy far, far away is The Mandalorian & Grogu, which will see Jeremy Allen White and Sigourney Weaver join the franchise and arrives in theaters on May 22, 2026. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the other new Star Wars movies and shows on the way.
