Kathleen Kennedy, the president of Lucasfilm, is reportedly planning to retire from leading the Star Wars production company, and these five people are our favorites to be her replacement. According to a report from Matthew Beloni, which was confirmed by Variety, Kathleen Kennedy will step down as president of Lucasfilm at the end of 2025. There hasn’t been official confirmation from Kennedy or Lucasfilm yet, and there isn’t an official reason why Kennedy is stepping down, but her retirement seems more than plausible. Kennedy is 71 years old and has reportedly been thinking of leaving Lucasfilm for some time.

Some pretty big names have been mentioned among Kennedy’s potential replacements. Some seem logical, and we’d think they’re good calls; others are a lot more questionable. Kevin Feige, for example, is surely too busy trying to right the ship at Marvel Studios. Lucasfilm will need a strong and capable leader to navigate its new projects and find a way to reunite a divided fanbase. So here are five producers we think could replace Kennedy, and in a perfect world, one of them would be tapped to bring Star Wars into the future.

5

Dave Filoni

Known For: Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels

Perhaps the most obvious person to replace Kathleen Kennedy as the president of Lucasfilm is Dave Filoni. Filoni was essentially a protégé to George Lucas himself, and they worked together closely for almost every season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Filoni learned from Lucas, he has an incredibly vast knowledge of Star Wars lore, and he essentially ran the franchise’s on-screen efforts from 2005 to 2015, when Star Wars: The Force Awakens was released. It’s hard to imagine Star Wars being in better hands: having Dave Filoni as the president of Lucasfilm is the closest thing to getting George Lucas to return, which is virtually impossible.

There are, however, a few problems with promoting Dave Filoni to president. Filoni has always had a better track record with television shows than movies – the movie version of The Clone Wars is the lowest-grossing Star Wars movie ever – which is not what the franchise needs, with The Mandalorian & Grogu ushering in a new era of theatrical releases. Running a media company like Lucasfilm is also very different from producing some Star Wars shows, and it’s not clear whether Filoni would be up to the financial and business sides of the job. Filoni is a creative-type, not an executive, and that transition may not be pleasant.

Aside from his lack of experience with the business side of film, Dave Filoni has also had a few missteps in recent years. Since he was appointed Chief Creative Officer of Lucasfilm, Filoni has had a problem with over-connecting the Star Wars galaxy. One of the chief complaints of The Mandalorian season 3, which Filoni executive produced, was how little it advanced Din Djarin’s story, with some even calling it “The Book of Bo-Katan.” If Lucasfilm and Star Wars are to reconnect their divided fanbase and show that the galaxy far, far away can still pleasantly surprise viewers, Filoni may not be the best choice.

4

Jon Favreau

Known For: The Mandalorian, Several MCU Projects

After Dave Filoni, Jon Favreau is probably the next most obvious pick to helm Lucasfilm. Favreau joined Lucasfilm and Star Wars in 2019, when he created and began executive producing The Mandalorian. Favreau’s work with The Mandalorian was exactly what Star Wars needed exactly when it was needed: it breathed new life into the franchise during and after the divisive sequel trilogy, and it proved that he could lead the franchise into the future. If anyone can reinvigorate Star Wars and usher in a new era in the same way The Mandalorian did, it’s Jon Favreau.

Unfortunately, Jon Favreau also faces some of the same problems Dave Filoni has run into in recent years. Favreau’s stint with Star Wars has had some notable low points – such as The Book of Boba Fett – and he’s struggled to expand The Mandalorian to the larger galaxy of characters. That’s not a great weakness for the president of Lucasfilm to have, especially as future Star Wars projects continue to reference older characters and stories.

There’s also a looming possibility with Jon Favreau: he may not want to be Lucasfilm’s president. Favreau has been creating shows, movies, and art for decades now, and he’s proven several times that he loves what he does. Trading in his writer’s cap and director’s chair for boardrooms and budget meetings may not appeal to Favreau, and even if he is offered the job as Lucasfilm’s president, he may not take it. If that proves to be the case, Favreau may have to remain as one of Star Wars‘ best directors and writers instead of the franchise’s leader.

3

Ben Stiller

Known For: Severance, The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty

After decades of working as a comedian, Ben Stiller doesn’t sound like an obvious candidate for Lucasfilm’s vacant presidency, but he may be a dark horse. Stiller is known for comedy movies like the Meet the Parents trilogy and the Zoolander duology, but in recent years, he’s branched out in a truly remarkable way. Stiller has made some remarkable projects as a director – including The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Escape at Dannemorra, and nine episodes of Severance – along with several more producer credits. With those projects, he’s proven himself just as competent behind the camera as he is in front of it.

Ben Stiller’s directing and producing careers speak for themselves, but his history as a comedian should also help Star Wars maintain its kid-friendly approach, something that Skeleton Crew nailed. Stiller isn’t just skilled at making good movies and shows, however, he’s also adept at making them popular. Stiller’s name alone is a signal that a project is going to be good, and he also knows the ins and outs of marketing. Take, for example, the “Defiant Jazz” playlist on Apple Music that accompanies Severance. Stiller knows how to make new fans and how to keep old fans happy, something Star Wars is always in need of.

Stiller is, sadly, not particularly likely. After decades in show business, Stiller probably prefers to take on independent projects that he’s pᴀssionate about, rather than being tied to one franchise indefinitely. Additionally, he likely already has some sort of deal with Apple through Severance, which may preclude him from being employed at the Disney-owned Lucasfilm. Stiller is a long sH๏τ for the Lucasfilm presidential role, but if by some miracle he was chosen, it certainly wouldn’t be a mistake.

2

Megan Ellison

Known For: Her, Zero Dark Thirty

If Lucasfilm decides to fill Kathleen Kennedy’s position with an outside hire, the company couldn’t go wrong with Megan Ellison. Though she’s only 39 years old, she’s already made a tremendous name for herself in the movie industry. Ellison produced wildly acclaimed and eclectic films like Spike Jonze’s Her, Zero Dark Thirty, and the Coen Brothers’ True Grit remake, which has earned her four separate Best Picture nominations. That also means she has experience with the Western, action, drama, romance, and comedy genres, all of which need to be blended together to make a good Star Wars movie or show.

Megan Ellison does, of course, have some weaknesses as a producer, but they seem mostly avoidable. For instance, Ellison has never worked on any Star Wars project before, which would take some getting used to. While she will have lore advisers at the ready in the form of Dave Filoni and Pablo Hidalgo, there’s still quite a learning curve when it comes to Star Wars and what makes a good story in the galaxy far, far away. Ellison also doesn’t have much experience with mᴀssive blockbusters, which could hurt the franchise’s chances of making big money at the box office.

Even Megan Ellison’s limitations are reasons why she could thrive at Lucasfilm, however. Ellison may not know Star Wars, but she does know show business, and she knows how to tell a good story. That means she can solve the franchise’s biggest problem in recent years: making a good movie that also happens to be part of Star Wars. Plus, Star Wars is one of the most recognizable franchises in cinema history, so Lucasfilm doesn’t really need a president who’s going to bring in new viewers; the new viewers will come on their own. Even Ellison’s young age is a benefit: she could oversee Lucasfilm for years to come, if she gets the job offer.

1

Frank Marshall

Known For: Jurᴀssic World, Raiders Of The Lost Ark

The least likely – but possibly best suited – candidate to head up Lucasfilm is Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy’s husband. Marshall’s family is a major reason why he wouldn’t take the Star Wars job, but he also has several other reasons to take it. For instance: Marshall has worked with George Lucas and Lucasfilm extensively in the past, on all the Indiana Jones movies, The Land Before Time, and more. He’s a legend of filmmaking with certified blockbusters like the Jurᴀssic World series and Back to the Future, so Marshall knows how to make Star Wars into a box office event.

Frank Marshall’s biggest talent – his ability to draw in audiences for a good, if not critically praised, time – is exactly what Star Wars needs. Some of the Jurᴀssic World films, particularly Jurᴀssic World Dominion, have had poor critical reception but good audience approval and even better box office earnings. Jurᴀssic World is one of only three franchises with a billion dollar earnings for each movie, and it’s at least partially due to Marshall’s years of experience and his ability to market to both longtime fans and younger newcomers. Marshall is the surest bet to make Star Wars back into a box office juggernaut.

Unfortunately, Frank Marshall also has reasons not to join Lucasfilm aside from his marriage to Kathleen Kennedy. Marshall is already tied to the Jurrᴀssic World franchise, and with Jurᴀssic World Rebirth signaling a resurgence of the series, he may not have time to helm another mᴀssive production company. No matter who Lucasfilm chooses as its next president, however, they could learn a thing or two about leading Star Wars from the producers on this list.