The Star Wars franchise will reportedly undergo a major change in leadership. And it’s a change that will leave many fans feeling very happy. In fact, some have been crying out for such a change for years. According to a new report, it has been confirmed that Kathleen Kennedy will step down as President of Lucasfilm next month, with Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan taking over as Co-Presidents of the iconic studio.
According to Puck News, the rumors are true. Disney is reportedly set to confirm that longtime Star Wars creative Dave Filoni will take over Lucasfilm alongside Lynwen Brennan, with the former in charge of the creative side while the latter, who is the current president and general manager of Lucasfilm Business, takes care of business interests, as Kathleen Kennedy steps down from her long-held role as president of the studio.
“In the next week or two, Disney will finally confirm what we’ve all known for months: Kathleen Kennedy is indeed stepping down as Lucasfilm president, and Dave Filoni, currently the chief creative officer of the Star Wars unit, will be elevated into the top job.”
Can Dave Filoni End the Divisiveness Now Inherent in ‘Star Wars’?
John Boyega as Finn, Daisy Ridley as Rey, and Oscar Isaac Poe in Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of SkywalkerWalt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
This latest insight into the inner workings of Lucasfilm comes following last year’s revelation, also from Puck News, that “Kathleen Kennedy has informed Disney, as well as friends and associates, that she will exit as Lucasfilm president by the end of the year.” At the time, the report claimed that Kennedy, who became president of Lucasfilm back in 2012, “was actually planning to leave last year,” before changing her mind.
Following a glowing career and credits on the likes of such cinematic classics as Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, The Color Purple, The Goonies, the Back to the Future trilogy, and more, Kennedy successfully relaunched Star Wars as a big-screen event with Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015. Grossing more than $2 billion globally and receiving praise from both critics and audiences alike. However, while things started on a monumental high, they quickly came crashing down with the hugely divisive response to The Force Awakens follow-up, The Last Jedi, in 2017.
Since then, the divisiveness surrounding Star Wars has only intensified, with many feeling that the franchise has been watered down by the constant flow of Disney+ shows (Andor innocent), many of which have toyed with the lore in ways that some of the fanbase have, to put it lightly, utterly despised.
But, while Dave Filoni was once looked upon as the savior of Star Wars and the natural successor to Kennedy, as well as being George Lucas’s protégé, he has since arguably become part of the problem. Best known for his work on The Clone Wars, Rebels, The Mandalorian, and Ahsoka, fan feeling towards Filoni has become almost as divisive as the overall feeling towards Star Wars itself.