One Major Star Wars Change Means the Franchise Will Never Be the Same
In 2012, when George Lucas sold Lucasfilm and the Star Wars brand to Disney, the world of cinema and science fiction was changed forever. By 2015, there was a new Star Wars film in theaters, The Force Awakens, and by 2019, the first Star Wars live-action TV series, The Mandalorian, hit the then-brand new streamer, Disney+. To be clear, the last decade or so has seen a supernova explosion of new Star Wars media, but, like all explosions, there's always a moment where things get smaller, or, at the very least, change.
As confirmed by Deadline, Lucasfilm boss since 2012, Kathleen Kennedy, is transitioning out of her role overseeing the Star Wars brand, putting fan-favorite Dave Filoni in charge of the Force for the foreseeable future. "The new President/Chief Creative Officer is Dave Filoni, who has been Lucasfilm EVP and Chief Creative Officer. Serving as Lucasfilm’s new Co-President is Lynwen Brennan, the longtime President & GM of Lucasfilm Business," Deadline reported on Thursday, January 15.
But what does this mean, exactly? Well, in the short term, very little. Kennedy will continue to produce various Star Wars films, and in a new, revealing interview, it was made clear that she started working on her transition plan just after the wrap of the upcoming 2027 film Star Wars: Starfighter. And, her role as a producer won't go away at Lucasfilm right away. She'll simply not be in charge of the creative direction of the franchise anymore, at least, not as President of Lucasfilm.
For longtime fans, Filoni's name is well known. He worked on the animated Clone Wars series with George Lucas, and in many ways, is Lucas' very own Jedi Padawan. That said, depending on who you ask, Filoni's direct output has been mixed. Of course, he was heavily involved in The Mandalorian, and is a co-screenwriter with Jon Favreau on this year's big movie, The Mandalorian and Grogu. Much of Filoni's influence on newer Star Wars takes can be traced to his work on The Clone Wars and Rebels, with many of those animated characters having made their way to live action in recent years.
Clearly, he's much nerdier and in the weeds of Star Wars-y stuff than Kennedy ever was. "He [Filoni] and Pablo Hidalgo are like the walking encyclopedias inside the company," Kennedy says in her exit interview at Deadline. "They always have the answer when you ask, 'Hey, can I do this with a lightsaber?' Or, 'What colors were the sabers?'"
So, could this mean that for fans who have felt that Star Wars has been onfocused that Filoni could bring nerdy balance to the Force? Perhaps. But the truth is, the variety of different projects greenlit under Kennedy is staggering. No two fans can agree about The Acoytle, but nearly everyone loves Andor. Both of those series were approved and backed by Kennedy.
At this point, it's actually too early to say what Kennedy's legacy will be with the Star Wars franchise, or how Filoni will shake things up. But one thing is for certain, the galaxy far, far away will never be quite the same again.