What Kathleen Kennedy’s Departure Means for the ‘Star Wars’ Franchise with Filoni and Brennan Leading Lucasfilm

Will Filoni and Brennan Honor Lucasfilm’s Legacy and Give Star Wars Renewed Hope

Now that Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan have officially taken over the reins as Disney’s Lucasfilm Co-Presidents, their job will be to deliver a cohesive roadmap for Star Wars and other studio-led projects.

But that task won’t be met without some fan resistance along the way who are not entirely on board with the change in leadership. Former Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy was a highly respected figure in Hollywood with an enormously passionate fan base, praised for expanding Star Wars by bringing in new audiences and diverse voices, launching successful shows like The Mandalorian and Andor, and promoting female creators, as seen in The Acolyte.

Now, just days after Kennedy stepped down, two reports have already soured the change in leadership, with one being an anonymous source stating that an “individual who worked inside Lucasfilm” claimed that Filoni disliked the critically acclaimed Star Wars: Andor Disney+ series, which many have said was the former President of Lucasfilm’s greatest overall achievement. The other report surfaced from The Wrap via @sw_holocron, claiming that Filoni wasn’t “at all” keen on the animated Star Wars: Visions project. Visions was largely seen as a refreshing, experimental success, providing unique, diverse, and beautiful Star Wars content that appeals to fans who appreciate artistic freedom and bold new interpretations of today’s world.

Whether these reports are true or not remains unconfirmed at this time, but it simply goes to show that it’s not going to be an easy cakewalk for Filoni and company in the polarizing environment that’s Star Wars.

The Wrap is now reporting that Dave Filoni “wasn’t keen on Star Wars Visions,” according to a source who worked with Lucasfilm.

This is the 2nd time in a week that The Wrap has alleged Dave Filoni disliked a specific Star Wars project, using a single anonymous source as evidence pic.twitter.com/0Kw2uzaGi2

— Star Wars Holocron (@sw_holocron) January 20, 2026

The fact that these reports have emerged emphasizes how Star Wars fans, along with the media, can be highly vocal and sometimes ruthless. While many fans do express love for the franchise, a significant vocal minority has been known to engage in extreme negative and often harassing behavior toward creators and actors.

Daisy Ridley and Kelly Marie Tran both left social media platforms after receiving a huge amount of online abuse from trolls who were upset by their characters in the latest series of Disney-produced Star Wars films.

On the Filoni side of things, how he navigates the path ahead with fans still has yet to be determined, but people need to remember that he’s been historically seen by many as someone who “listens to fans”, often incorporating their enthusiasm and lore into projects while also being recognized as a “genuine fan” himself. His promotion reflects his deep understanding of the franchise and fan connection, continuing the legacy that George Lucas built. Filoni said via StarWars.com.

“I think, sometimes with fans, what a lot of studios miss is it’s just the gesture: it’s the idea of knowing that they do matter and that we do care about what they think.”

As far as the artistic side of things, some will say he acts as the final word on lore and narrative when it comes to working with them on projects, a role often compared to James Gunn’s position at DC Studios, but that’s not always the case; he often tends to “respect the artists and their abilities” more than most and doesn’t always make major changes.

Filoni mentioned his approach to Star Wars projects during a recent sit-down with Screen Rant via @sw_holocron on X, that there’s no rulebook and that the artists are the ones in control.

“People get worried that they talk to me and I’m gonna have some Star Wars rule book.I know a lot of things about how things have been done, but I’m always curious about… what have you got? What do you want to do?…. The biggest thing you want is to get artists to be expressive and express themselves in this time in ways that surprise us. Even if we’re using franchises like Star Wars that have been around, what have you got?”

Fans have already seen hints of how Filoni operates through Lucasfilm’s television slate, showing he’s able to listen to artists and their ideas and isn’t going to be a singular creative voice dictating projects. Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused, he said.

“The creative of the particular story, driving it, is kind of the most important thing. At best you’re Obi-Wan, and everyone coming in is going to make their trench run, and you’re just trying to get them to let go and trust their instincts, and trust the process, and do what they’re doing.”

Also, in Kennedy’s exit interview last week with Deadline, it was revealed that she had identified Filoni and Brennan as her duo successors two years ago because the role of Lucasfilm president had grown so large over the last decade that splitting it in two made the most sense. Other studios in the industry have already made moves in that direction because of the challenges that comes with it.

The goal for the duo ahead will be to create cohesiveness between the creative side and the global media brand. Brennan’s operational skills, combined with Filoni’s artistic instincts, will need to give the company a sense of balance. Star Wars, as well as other projects, will also need to be more definitive and shift towards being more concrete in its announcements instead of continually having titles paused, back-burned, or completely shelved.

On the ‘Happy Sad Confused’ Podcast from last year, Filoni shared even more insight on the future of Star Wars. The conversation touched upon his belief that the essence of Star Wars lies in timeless themes of “good versus evil” and “overcoming fear,” regardless of the style or rating. One has to wonder if George himself will be a more active participant in important matters from an outside perspective moving forward. He says that he still has a “respectful relationship with George” and notes that “he still brings surprising and innovative ideas to the table,” such as the character dynamics between Anakin and Ahsoka.

There are a bunch of big Star Wars projects in production, like the Jon Favreau-directed The Mandalorian & Grogu movie, Ahsoka: Season 2, the Ryan Gosling-led Starfighter film, which is being directed by Deadpool & Wolverine’s Shawn Levy, as well as some animated series like Maul: Shadow Lord.

Kennedy, in her exit interview, also discussed several Star Wars film projects in the works, including Donald Glover’s Lando and Taika Waititi’s solo films, along with Simon Kinberg’s all-new trilogy. Other films, like the James Mangold-led Dawn of the Jedi and the Filoni-led Mandoverse, are on hold, while the Hunt for Ben Solo and the Rey New Jedi Order movies could still be a possibility if the Filoni and Brennan duo takes a risk or two. Daisy Ridley has remained positive with her “be patient” comments in recent interviews regarding the Rey film’s progress, and we all know where fans stand with Driver’s Hunt for Ben Solo. Keep the momentum up “Reylo” fans.

The 2021 Winner OFTA Film Hall of Fame recipient firmly believes storytelling should represent all people, making diversity an “easy decision” for her. She defended showrunner Leslye Headland and the series’ diverse cast against criticism, even as some fans dubbed it “The Wokelyte.” The risks that she took with beloved fan favorites The Acolyte and The Last Jedi can’t be ignored and need to be a pivotal part of Lucasfilm’s landscape moving forward.

Honoring George Lucas’s core themes of faith and good vs. evil while expanding lore with deep continuity would be a step in the right direction. Blending his original classic sci-fi with new storytelling for all will help solidify the shape of the franchise’s future.

One thing is for sure: 2026 and beyond will indeed be widely regarded as one of the most pivotal moments for the Star Wars franchise in its 50-year history. Will the Hunt for Ben Solo film happen? Will the Rey Skywalker film happen? Will other Lucasfilm projects like Children of Blood and Bone, aiming for diverse genres beyond sci-fi/fantasy, also happen under the new regime? So many unanswered questions. I guess we will just have to wait and see where the two take us.

You can check out the ‘Happy Sad Podcast’ with Dave Filoni below. It may give you a little more detail on the direction that he may take the company.

May the Force be with you….