Lucasfilm Boss Kathleen Kennedy To Steps Down After 14 Years – Here’s Who Will Replace Her

Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down from her role at Lucasfilm after 14 years, and Disney has announced that she will be replaced by two executives: Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan.

Kennedy will leave the company later this year, handing the reins to Filoni, Lucasfilm’s Chief Creative Officer, and Brennan, the studio’s President and General Manager. Together, they will lead the company behind Star Wars and Indiana Jones as Disney aims to keep the franchises strong.

Filoni’s promotion had been widely expected, given his long history with Lucasfilm, but Brennan’s elevation is somewhat of a surprise. It shows Disney wants to pair a creative force with someone experienced in managing budgets and operations. Filoni and Brennan will report directly to Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment.

Kennedy will remain involved in a smaller capacity, producing Lucasfilm’s next two theatrical releases: The Mandalorian and Grogu, and Star Wars: Starfighter, set for 2026 and 2027. She will also pursue independent producing projects.

Disney CEO Bob Iger praised Kennedy for her leadership and vision in a statement. “When we acquired Lucasfilm more than a decade ago, we knew we were bringing into the Disney family not only one of the most beloved and enduring storytelling universes ever created, but also a team of extraordinary talent led by a visionary filmmaker – someone who had been handpicked by George Lucas himself, no less,” Iger said.

“We’re deeply grateful for Kathleen Kennedy’s leadership, her vision, and her stewardship of such an iconic studio and brand.”

Kennedy’s tenure has been a mix of big successes and notable challenges. She helped bring Star Wars back to theaters with The Force Awakens, which earned over $2 billion, and oversaw the box office hits The Last Jedi, The Rise of Skywalker, and Rogue One.

However, other projects, like Solo: A Star Wars Story, struggled both at the box office and in production, with directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller replaced by Ron Howard. Many announced Star Wars projects, including films by Patty Jenkins, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, and Taika Waititi, never came to fruition. This has left a gap of several years between theatrical releases, a gap that will soon be filled by The Mandalorian and Grogu.

Kennedy also helped expand Star Wars into streaming, producing hits like The Mandalorian and critically acclaimed shows like Andor. Some series, however, did not succeed, such as The Acolyte, which was canceled after one season.

Filoni has been with Lucasfilm since 2005, when George Lucas chose him to help build the animation studio. He created Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels and currently works as executive producer, director, and writer on live-action series including The Mandalorian and Ahsoka. He is also producing the upcoming film The Mandalorian and Grogu.

Brennan joined Industrial Light & Magic in 1999 and became its president in 2009. She later served as Lucasfilm’s president and general manager in 2024, overseeing business strategy, franchise operations, and ILM’s expansion.

The promotions of Filoni and Brennan mark a major leadership shift at Lucasfilm as Disney looks to continue building its Star Wars universe under new guidance.

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