Disney’s Unprecedented Search for New Star Wars Leader Inspiring Next Generation Creatives

by Annika February 26, 2025

Dave Filoni, creator of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series in 2008, declared that “Great leaders inspire greatness in others.” Now, as Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy announces her retirement, Disney must choose a person to motivate and guide the next generation of Star Wars creatives. The process is set to be unprecedented in Lucasfilm history, considering founder George Lucas had handpicked Kennedy as his successor. Potential replacements include Jon Favreau, Kevin Feige, J.J. Abrams, Emma Watts, Hannah Minghella, and even Filoni himself. Each candidate brings a unique set of skills and experiences, making the decision all the more challenging.

Disney’s Unprecedented Search for New Star Wars Leader Inspiring Next Generation Creatives

– Disney is searching for a new leader for Star Wars with the retirement of Kathleen Kennedy, who was chosen by George Lucas to run Lucasfilm in 2012.
– Potential successors include Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Kevin Feige, J.J. Abrams, Emma Watts, and Hannah Minghella.
– Some industry insiders believe the new role should combine creative and managerial skills, with suggestions of pairing Favreau or Filoni with a corporate-minded executive.

Launch of the popular Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series by Dave Filoni in 2008 introduced a concept “Great leaders inspire greatness in others.” As Lucasfilm’s longtime boss, Kathleen Kennedy announces her retirement later this year, Disney must choose a successor to inspire excellence in the next generation of Star Wars creatives.

George Lucas, the Star Wars creator, personally chose Kennedy to lead Lucasfilm in 2012 before selling the ownership stake to Disney, which chose to retain her. Disney will now have an unprecedented task of choosing a fresh leader for its galaxy, recasting a frequently criticized but nevertheless successful reign by Kennedy highlighted by the franchise’s re-entry into theaters with The Force Awakens and the successful pivot to television with The Mandalorian.

Her impending retirement might find approval among online fans but industry insiders believe that finding a suitable replacement would be a mammoth task. People in the industry opine that the company’s senior management did a lackluster job of training and promoting their next generation of Padawan executives. Kennedy herself had begun grooming Rayne Roberts, a Lucasfilm veteran of 12 years, as her likely successor. However, Roberts recently moved to Searchlight as the new senior VP of production.

Kennedy’s role was less about creativity and more about managing new Star Wars films, an Indiana Jones movie, and a gamut of live-action and animated series. The role requires dealing with Disney, handling licensing, and managing fans. Some speculated replacements include Jon Favreau, known for launching Marvel Cinematic Universe with Iron Man and Star Wars series The Mandalorian; Dave Filoni, a Lucas protegé, who is adored by franchise’s fandom; Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios topper widely considered the best candidate for the job; and other industry veterans such as J.J. Abrams, Emma Watts, and Hannah Minghella.

Regardless, replacing Kennedy at the helm of Lucasfilm will bring unique challenges, and whoever steps into her shoes will need to meet high expectations and deliver Star Wars magic all while navigating the complex intricacies of Disney and its fan base.