Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has directly addressed recent reports suggesting her retirement in 2025. Earlier this week, Puck News claimed that the veteran film producer was set to retire at the end of her contract this year, having previously considered retiring in 2024. However, these claims were met with mixed responses. While Variety reported a source close to Kennedy dismissing the story as "pure speculation," The Hollywood Reporter corroborated Puck's account.

In response, Kennedy has made it clear that she is not retiring. According to Deadline, she is currently working with Disney CEO Bob Iger on a succession plan, now 13 years into her role. Star Wars Rebels creator and Lucasfilm's current chief creative officer, Dave Filoni, is reportedly in a strong position to succeed her. Despite these plans, Kennedy firmly stated, "The truth is, and I want to just say loud and clear, I am not retiring. I will never retire from movies. I will die making movies."

Kennedy confirmed that Lucasfilm intends to make an announcement regarding her succession "months or a year down the road," but emphasized that she is "continuing to stay at Lucasfilm." Her ongoing projects include producing the upcoming Mandalorian movie and a Star Wars film directed by Shawn Levy of Deadpool & Wolverine fame.

While Kennedy is planning for a transition from her current role as president, she made it clear that she is not leaving the company or retiring from the film industry. "I’m not going to be here forever," she said, acknowledging the growth of the job since she took over, particularly with the addition of streaming services and other new ventures.

Addressing any speculation about being pushed aside or needing replacement, Kennedy firmly denied these claims, stating it was "absolutely not the case" and "could not be further from the truth." Her tenure has seen the launch of the new sequel trilogy (Star Wars Episodes 7-9) and the expansion into streaming with hits like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Andor, Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, and The Acolyte. While some projects like Star Wars: The Force Awakens were massive successes, others such as Solo: A Star Wars Story faced financial and critical challenges.

When asked directly by Deadline if she would step down as Lucasfilm president this year, Kennedy responded that she did not know "at this stage," but emphasized that any decision to leave would be "100% my decision." She did not confirm whether Filoni would take over her role.

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Kathleen Kennedy at the launch of Disney+ Star Wars show the Acolyte. Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney.