Kathleen Kennedy turned the Star Wars universe on its head with what she revealed in her Lucasfilm exit interview. For many months, and even years, it was speculated that Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy was preparing to step down and pass the torch to someone else. Kennedy stayed on for quite some time after those rumors started, but she officially left her position on January 15, 2026. In her place, The Clone Wars and Ahsoka mastermind Dave Filoni will take over the creative side of things, while another executive handles the business decisions.
Despite what many fans think of Kennedy and the way she has handled Star Wars since George Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney, Kennedy has had a decorated career and has had a hand in some of the most iconic and important projects in history.
From Schindler's List to Poltergeist, Kenney built a rock-solid resume that cemented her as one of the most important producers of all time. However, she felt as though it was finally time to ride off into the sunset, but not before dropping some bombs about the future of the galaxy far, far away.
Everything Kathleen Kennedy Revealed About Star Wars While Exiting Lucasfilm
Dave Filoni's Role as Chief Creative Officer and Lynwen Brennan's Business Position
One of the biggest announcements that Kennedy made in her exit interview with Deadline was who her successors would be. Unsurprisingly, Dave Filoni was named Lucasfilm's Chief Creative Officer, meaning that he will oversee everything on the creative side at Lucasfilm. While he won't be behind the camera or writing all of the scripts, everything from outlines, scripts, and rough cuts will go through him and will need his stamp of approval.
Lynwen Brennan, who was once the president of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and later the executive vice president of Lucasfilm, was also named co-president alongside Filoni, but Kennedy confirmed that she will focus on the business side of the company.
In her interview, Kennedy praised both Filoni and Brennan, talking about how important they have been to Lucasfilm over the years and how she has been recently preparing them for their roles:
"[Brennan] comes out of ILM 16 years as the general manager and then transitioned into being the general manager for Lucasfilm. She has been my key financial partner, my business partner running the company. Dave is the perfect person to transition, but he hadn’t made a movie and I worked very closely with him beginning with Rogue One to get him a feel of how live-action works. His background is animation, as he worked with George on 'Clone Wars.'"
Filoni and Brennan will serve as co-presidents of Lucasfilm in a very similar manner to how James Gunn and Peter Safran are co-CEOs of DC Studios. Over there at DC, Gunn handles the creative side of the company just as Filoni will with Lucasfilm, and Safran makes all of the business decisions, just like Brennan will at Lucasfilm.
James Mangold’s Script Is on Hold
It was announced in the past that James Mangold would be writing and directing a feature film for Lucasfilm exploring the dawn of the Jedi Order. It was said to be set tens of thousands of years in the past and be something vastly different from what Star Wars had focused on before, which had fans extremely excited.
In her exit interview, Kennedy unfortunately revealed that Mangold and Beau Williamson's script for that movie is "on hold," meaning that it is currently in limbo and not in active development. However, the former Lucasfilm president did say that the script is "incredible" and that "it is definitely breaking the mold," which is a good sign on the story side of things, but it is not currently a focal point for Lucasfilm:
"I’ve got to tread a bit carefully here. Jim Mangold and Beau Willimon wrote an incredible script, but it is definitely breaking the mold and it’s on hold."
Most likely, Mangold is tied up with other projects, as he is still supposed to develop a Swamp Thing film for DC Studios, among other projects. It is also worth noting that Kennedy stated that Disney is a bit nervous and uncomfortable with Mangold's movie and other upcoming films since they won't be traditional Star Wars stories and will be "breaking the mold."
Taika Waititi Has Turned in a “Hilarious” Script
Taika Waititi is known for his comedic and over-the-top films such as Thor: Ragnarok. Waititi was involved with the earlier seasons of The Mandalorian and even got to get behind the camera and do some directing for that series. Disney and Lucasfilm were so impressed with his work that they allowed him to develop a script for his own feature film.
Since Waititi's movie was announced, it has seemingly not progressed in the slightest. Many fans were convinced that it would never even happen, especially considering Waititi claimed that he was having a lot of trouble with the script.
However, based on what Kennedy said, it seems as though Waititi's script is finished and that it could move into production sometime in the near future, but Kennedy once again implied that it was Disney holding the project up.
For instance, she mentioned that, although he has submitted a script, "it's not just her decision," and now that she has "got a foot out the door," it definitely isn't up to her:
"Taika has turned in a script that I think is hilarious and great. It’s not just my decision, especially when I’ve got a foot out the door."
So, Waititi's movie moving forward seems as though it could solely be up to Disney. If Bob Iger and co. want to take a chance on it, it may be ready to go.
Donald Glover Turned in a Script For His Lando Movie
After Donald Glover portrayed Lando Calrissian in Solo, he was hired by Lucasfilm to develop and write a script for a Lando project. Over time, that project has changed between being a movie and a Disney+ series, but, like Waititi's movie, it seemed as though Lando was dead in the water.
However, once again, Kennedy confirmed that the script is finished, which means there's not much anyone can do until Disney gives Lucasfilm the green light.
Kennedy didn't really comment on the Lando script aside from revealing that it was submitted, specifically saying, "Donald Glover has turned in a script." A lot of fans are excited about the potential that the project has, as many enjoyed Glover's performance as Lando. It is also important to remember that he has successful experience on the creative side of filmmaking, so it seems like a no-brainer for Disney. Unfortunately, though, they can't seem to pull the trigger.
The Hunt for Ben Solo is Still a Possibility
Recently, news broke that Adam Driver and Steve Soderbergh turned in a script written by Scott Burns that was titled The Hunt for Ben Solo. Essentially, the film was going to take place after The Rise of Skywalker and would have focused on Adam Driver as Ben Solo.
However, it was also revealed that, despite the script being fantastic, Disney would not greenlight it because it could not get over the fact that Ben Solo was coming back after he had died in The Rise of Skywalker. Since then, fans have been extremely vocal that they would like to see the movie get made.
Before Kennedy's interview, The Hunt for Ben Solo seemed like it had no chance at all of ever moving forward and getting made. However, Kennedy did not say that the movie was cancelled. Instead, she made it a point to mention that "anything's a possibility if somebody's willing to take a risk:"
"And as you have read, Steve Soderbergh and Adam Driver turned in a script written by Scott Burns. It was just great. Anything’s a possibility if somebody’s willing to take a risk."
Her words seemingly indicate that Lucasfilm is still holding on to the script and may even be actively trying to convince Disney to give it the green light. If that is the case, Lucasfilm definitely has a lot of faith in it, which is a great sign.
Many fans will be happy to learn that Kennedy didn't confirm that the movie has been entirely cancelled. There is still a good chance it will never happen, but it seems as though Lucasfilm is at least trying to push back on Disney's decision not to move forward with it.
The Mandalorian Crossover Film Is on the Back Burner
When The Mandalorian first got started, Lucasfilm announced that it was part of the MandoVerse, an interconnected universe within Star Wars that also included projects like The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and Skeleton Crew. It was also announced that, after all of those projects were finished, they would culminate with a crossover feature film that would bring all of the stories together.
Since that announcement, the MandoVerse has taken some hits. Projects haven't been as successful as they were supposed to be, and some (like The Mandalorian) were even cancelled, with movies taking their place.
Kennedy notably did not reference the MandoVerse film, which could spell trouble for it. She talked about really every other upcoming movie aside from that one and the movie that will bring Daisy Ridley back as Rey, so it seems as though the MandoVerse movie is on the back burner.
Recently, a report detailed that it was not in Lucasfilm's immediate focus, and that lines up seeing as how Kennedy didn't mention it. Most likely, it is another film in the franchise that will never get made, especially since other scripts have already been turned in and Lucasfilm is trying to get those greenlit.
Simon Kinberg’s Star Wars Script is “Very Good” and Will Launch a New Trilogy
While Kennedy did not talk about the MandoVerse film, she did spend an ample amount of time discussing Simon Kinberg's upcoming movie, which is expected to launch a brand new trilogy in the Star Wars universe.
According to Kennedy, Kinberg "wrote something" that was turned in around August 2025. She noted that "it was very good, but not there." So, he will be going back into the lab to make some adjustments to it and "is expected to give [them] something in March:"
"He’s working right now. He wrote something that we read in August, and it was very good, but not there. We’ve pretty much upended the story, and then spent a great deal of time on the treatment, which he finished literally about four weeks ago. And it’s a very detailed treatment, like 70 pages. And so he is expected to give us something in March."
Rumors and reports have suggested that Kinberg's trilogy will kick off an entirely new era of the Star Wars timeline. It seems as though it is a more traditional premise that has proven to be successful when it comes to the galaxy far, far away, so, unless something crazy happens, it will likely get made, seeing as how Disney and Lucasfilm seem to be on board with it.
