Posted on 02/25/2025 8:36:47 AM PST by Red Badger
In a move that has sent shockwaves through Hollywood and the passionate Star Wars fandom, Kathleen Kennedy, the longtime president of Lucasfilm, is reportedly set to retire by the end of 2025.
After more than a decade steering one of Disney’s most iconic franchises into the ground, Kennedy’s departure marks the end of an era defined by ambitious expansion, woke creative decisions, and a relentless push to modernize a galaxy far, far away. The news—first reported by industry insider Matthew Belloni of Puck—has sparked widespread speculation about the future of Star Wars and its place within Disney’s sprawling empire.
Kennedy’s tenure began in 2012 when she joined Lucasfilm as co-chair alongside founder George Lucas. Months later, Disney acquired the studio for $4 billion, Lucas stepped away, and Kennedy ascended to the presidency.
Handpicked by Lucas himself, she brought a storied resume, having co-founded Amblin Entertainment with Steven Spielberg and produced cultural juggernauts like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, and the Indiana Jones series. Her task at Lucasfilm was monumental: revive Star Wars for a new generation while honoring its legacy.
She failed miserably.
Under Kennedy’s leadership, Disney launched the Star Wars sequel trilogy, beginning with 2015’s The Force Awakens, which grossed over $2 billion worldwide and reignited global fervor for the franchise. The trilogy, concluding with 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker, raked in more than $4.4 billion combined, though it faced diminishing returns and fierce backlash from some fans over its narrative direction.
Spin-offs like Rogue One (2016) and Solo (2018) followed, alongside a bold pivot to streaming with Disney+ series such as The Mandalorian, Andor, and The Acolyte. The Mandalorian, in particular, became a cultural phenomenon, proving Star Wars could thrive beyond the big screen.
The Acolyte, on the other hand, was panned as a woke expression of personal failures that woefully found themselves polluting the failed project.
Critics—especially vocal segments of the fanbase—accused her of steering the franchise toward radical leftist territory, citing diverse casting and progressive themes as departures from Lucas’s original vision. High-profile stumbles, like the cancellation of The Acolyte after one season due to low viewership, and the debacle of 2023’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, fueled calls for her ouster.
Elon Musk famously piled on, branding her “more deadly than the Death Star” in 2024 for her creative choices. Even South Park took a swipe, lampooning her as a symbol of Disney’s pandering.
Despite the criticism, Kennedy remained woke. In a 2024 New York Times interview, she defended her approach, arguing that “storytelling does need to be representative of all people.”
Still, the lack of a theatrical Star Wars film since 2019 and shelved projects—like a trilogy from Rian Johnson—left some questioning her long-term vision.
So why now? Reports suggest Kennedy, now 71, had contemplated leaving in 2024 but stayed an extra year, possibly to oversee key projects like The Mandalorian and Grogu, slated for 2026—a film she likely won’t see to release. Sources say she’s informed Disney and close associates of her plans, though Lucasfilm and Kennedy herself haven’t officially commented. Her exit aligns with the natural end of her contract, and speculation swirls about successors, with names like Dave Filoni, Lucasfilm’s Chief Creative Officer, topping the list.
For Disney, Kennedy’s departure is a pivot point. Star Wars remains a crown jewel, but its cinematic future is murky, with fans hungry for a return to theaters that doesn’t compromise the saga’s roots. Her legacy is a mixed bag: billions in revenue, a revitalized small-screen presence, and a franchise more diverse than ever—yet scarred by division and unrealized potential.
Will Disney double down on her inclusive ethos or swing back to appease traditionalists? Can Star Wars reclaim its uncontested cinematic throne?
Because by VI Yoda told him. Probably after he “died”. Well, Old Ben was dead too.
Remember Yoda just told Obi in V that, “no, there is another “. And that was that. After Yoda moved on he told Luke the details. So, logically Yoda must have explained it to him in between.
too late.
I’ve always wondered how Anikin didn’t realize she was pregnant.
That may have been the original vision before it was fleshed out, but that was changed/established with Episode VI (why they repeated him saying “you were our only hope” again), not anything in Episode III. There is no dialog in any movie that reflects anywhere Obi-Wan did not know about the sister or that he only learned about it after Yoda died. Nor anything that contradicts he was present at the birth and would not have participated in hiding them (he was on Tatooine watching Luke for a reason). This is the dialog from Episode VI:
https://youtu.be/2nO0uJenOgw?si=UXMOl1U9zM-1ak2S&t=100
Obi-Wan: You were our only hope.
Luke: Yoda spoke of another.
Obi-Wan: The other he spoke is your twin sister.
Luke: But I have no sister.
Obi-Wan: To protect you both from the Emperor you were hidden from your father when you were born. The Emperor knew as I did if Anakin were to have any offspring, they would be a threat to him. That is the reason why your sister remains safely anonymous.
Luke: Leia! Leia is my sister!
Obi-Wan: Your insight serves you well...bury your feelings deep down inside, Luke. They do you credit, but they could be made to serve the Emperor.
Yes in VI. In V when Luke leaves because of his cloud city vision Obi says “he was our only hope” and then Yoda says “no, there is another “ which clearly implies he didn’t know.
Thus he was told between the two.
LOL, we are debating perception.
So I’ll finish with episodes 7 through 9 sucked.
“I’ve always wondered how Anikin didn’t realize she was pregnant.”
Anakin did know she was pregnant - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkdtC8nOwUQ (that is the scene where Padme tells him of her pregnancy from the movie) But remember he believed at first she died before giving birth (and you see at the funeral they made sure to make her appear to still be fully pregnant)...until learning of Luke “Skywalker” - and he knew nothing of having a daughter until he senses Luke’s “thoughts” during their final encounter.
I think you may need to watch the movies all the way through in chronological order. :-) These contradictions you are concerned with don’t exist.
I’ve seen them a gazillion times. We differ in how we see it.
But I forgot he knew. Did he think the child died when she did? He was on fire at the time.
I still never understood why Obi Wan said in 4 he didn’t own a droid when 3PO and R2 are with him in 1 thru 3 all the time. You’d think he’d have remembered R2.
Well those types of droids were as common as grains of sand on Tatooine. He would have seen thousands of them looking pretty much identical to them over his life.
Obi-Wan *wasn’t* going to know...that’s why they had him repeat the line “you were our only hope” in Episode VI just before telling Luke in order to retcon it without it being or sounding like a contradiction of Episode V. When Episode V was made, Leia was not intended to be the sister. So that retcon occurred within Episode VI first using that dialog, not Episode III - what happens in Episode III was to make it consistent with Episode VI, not the other way around.
“So I’ll finish with episodes 7 through 9 sucked.”
Oh my goodness - don’t even get me started on that.
Star Wars? Dead. Star Trek? Dead. James Bond? Dead. I enjoyed them 10-20 years ago but they died long ago.
Too late...she’s already destroyed the franchise.
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