Lucasfilm "Likely" Replacing Kathleen Kennedy at Lucasfilm with Dave Filoni and Carrie Beck

It looks like big changes are brewing at Lucasfilm. According to a new reprot from The Hollywood Reporter about the shifting power dynamics at Disney, Kathleen Kennedy’s time as president of Lucasfilm is winding down, and the studio may be headed in a new, but familiar, direction.

The names being floated to “likely” replace her are Dave Filoni and Carrie Beck. Filoni currently serves as Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm and is also producing several Star Wars TV and film projects. The report notes:

“The current thinking is a scenario where chief creative officer Dave Filoni and production head Carrie Beck — both Lucasfilm vets — take co-head roles. Even as an arm of Disney, Lucasfilm remains, in many ways, a family business, and as a George Lucas protégé Filoni long has been considered a golden boy.”

Filoni’s rise is no surprise to anyone who’s followed Star Wars since The Clone Wars. His creative connection to George Lucas and the way he’s carried forward that legacy with Rebels, The Mandalorian, and Ahsoka has earned him a loyal following, and he’s their guy.

However, not everyone in the room is sold. The same THR piece offers this commentary:

“But the knock against him is that he might be too steeped in Star Wars lore and risks steering a show into dense mythology that loses a broader audience. ‘He’s not the Andor guy, he’s the Ahsoka guy,’ says one Disney insider.

“Beck, who joined the company in 2012, knows the ins and outs, but neither she nor Filoni has much film experience, which could be mitigated by Kennedy’s continued presence as a producer on certain Star Wars projects, ensuring quality control in the short term.”

That’s a fair point. While Filoni thrives in the animated and live-action series space, Star Wars hasn’t exactly had a smooth run on the big screen lately, and neither he nor Beck has much experience steering theatrical releases.

That’s where Kennedy may linger for a while longer, potentially sticking around to produce key projects and maintain consistency as they transition.

Still, fans online are already drawing battle lines. For many, the idea of a “Lucas guy” who lives and breathes Star Wars mythology is exactly what Lucasfilm needs. After all, the most frustrating part of the franchise’s modern era has often been its uneven grasp of what makes Star Wars feel like Star Wars.

And yet… Andor exists. It’s a perfect example of what Star Wars can be when it steps outside of the mythological comfort zone, when it slows down, digs into real human struggles, and reimagines the galaxy far, far away with grounded stakes.

So here we are, at a crossroads. Lucasfilm seems like they are preparing to pass the lightsaber to two trusted veterans who’ve built their reputations inside the galaxy. The next era of Star Wars is about to begin, and even if Filoni isn’t taking the lead, as continuing CCO, the franchise is going to have Filoni’s fingerprints all over it.