Last Week’s Big Star Wars News Finally Solves A Two-Year-Old Mystery That’s Been Driving Fans Into A Frenzy

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Things are always changing, but the future of Star Wars is becoming clearer. For over a year, there have been rumors, and last week it was confirmed: Kathleen Kennedy is leaving her position as president of Lucasfilm. Dave Filoni, a longtime mentee of George Lucas, and Lynwen Brennan will now co-lead the studio, with Filoni focusing on the creative side and Brennan managing the business operations.

Lucas appointed Kennedy in 2012, and while she often faced criticism – some of which wasn’t justified – recent announcements surprisingly shed light on a major issue that’s plagued the franchise for years: a lack of clear direction and the abrupt cancellation of several Star Wars films previously announced at the 2023 Star Wars Celebration.

Star Wars Celebration 2023 Was Supposed to Set Lucasfilm’s New Direction

I attended Star Wars Celebration 2023 and was in the audience when Kathleen Kennedy announced three upcoming movies. These include a film set during the early days of the Jedi, directed by James Mangold; a movie taking place in the era of The Mandalorian by Dave Filoni; and a new installment focusing on the ‘New Jedi Order,’ directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and bringing back Daisy Ridley. The energy in the room when Ridley appeared on stage was incredible – it really showed how different the online fan reaction can be from the feelings of the wider fanbase.

Over time, things became unusually quiet regarding the project. Mangold shifted his focus to other work, and “Dawn of the Jedi” seemed to be put on the back burner. Filoni remained tight-lipped about his film, and even Rey’s anticipated return felt uncertain, despite earlier reports that she was key to Lucasfilm’s plans. Instead, the studio started developing new films that hadn’t been mentioned at Celebration 2023, signaling a change in direction.

Lucasfilm shifted its focus in January 2024, announcing a movie titled The Mandalorian and Grogu instead of continuing with Season 4 of The Mandalorian. This change seemed like a response to Disney’s request for more films made for theaters, but it was unexpected. Even more surprisingly, Lucasfilm also brought on writer Jonathan Tropper in July to work on a script for Shawn Levy’s Starfighter. These two films were clearly the company’s main focus, as both have already finished filming, with The Mandalorian & Grogu set to be released in May.

In November 2024, Simon Kinberg was brought on board to write a new Star Wars trilogy, which Lucasfilm sees as the foundation for all future projects. Many fans believe this new trilogy will finally tell the story of Rey, replacing the script previously developed by Obaid-Chinoy. This news was disappointing for those who were excited by the announcements made at the 2023 Celebration, as it suggested a significant shift in direction and something unusual was happening behind the scenes.

We Now Know Why Lucasfilm Changed Direction

The mystery surrounding the changes at Lucasfilm has finally been solved. In her exit interview, Kathleen Kennedy revealed she had been discussing potential successors with Disney for two years – starting around January 2024, which coincides with the shift in direction signaled by the announcement of The Mandalorian & Grogu. It’s now clear what was happening behind the scenes.

It seems Kennedy stepped down from leading Lucasfilm in January 2024, with Filoni and Brennan taking over. This likely meant Filoni had to pause his own projects, as running a studio and directing a movie at the same time is challenging – though James Gunn has managed it at DC Studios, he’s a more seasoned director. Lucasfilm decided Rey was their most valuable character and shifted plans to build a whole trilogy around her, rather than just one film. Mangold’s project was put on hold, as Filoni and Brennan focused on developing Starfighter to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Star Wars next year.

The situation isn’t great, but it’s understandable. When leadership changed, the plan shifted too. Fans noticed the change in direction but weren’t aware of the new leadership, which caused a lot of frustration. Unfortunately, this means Kennedy is leaving with some unresolved issues, and her planned announcements probably won’t happen. However, we now have a better idea of what led to these changes.

Did Lucasfilm make the right decision? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion in the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-01-26 00:40