Farewell Kathleen : The end of an unrivaled reign over the galaxy

January 15, 2026, will remain etched as the day the Force shifted. Kathleen Kennedy, the producer with 120 Academy Award nominations, is stepping down as President of Lucasfilm. While Hollywood salutes a giant career, Star Wars fans are letting out a sigh of relief that can be heard as far as the Outer Rim. Between a squandered legacy and missed opportunities, the time for a final assessment has come.

The "Queen of Amblin" Faces the Challenge of a Lifetime

When George Lucas sold his empire to Disney for $4 billion in 2012, he did not choose Kathleen Kennedy by chance. She was Spielberg’s protégé, the architect of E.T., Indiana Jones, and Jurassic Park. She carried the DNA of the blockbusters that fueled our dreams in the 80s and 90s. However, leading a production studio is not the same as carrying an artistic vision.

Under her era, Star Wars brought in massive revenue : $5.9 billion at the box office for just five films. On paper, it is an insolent success. In the hearts of fans aged 16 to 45, it is a completely different story.

The "Project Cemetery" : A Monumental Creative Waste

One of the greatest criticisms leveled against Kennedy will remain her inability to stabilize a creative direction. Her tenure was marked by an unprecedented rotation of directors :

• Solo : A Star Wars Story : The firing of Lord and Miller mid-production resulted in a lukewarm film and the saga's first commercial failure.
• Rian Johnson : His heavily promoted trilogy is officially buried. Kennedy now points to social media hostility to justify the director's departure, overlooking that it was the lack of an overall plan for the sequel trilogy that created the chaos.
• The Kylo Ren Film : We now learn of a canceled project, The Hunt for Ben Solo, involving Steven Soderbergh and Adam Driver. A film deemed too "bold" by Disney executives during the Kennedy era.
• The Acolyte Series : Leslye Headland failed to convince with her foray into the High Republic, turning what should have been a dark mystical investigation into a narrative shipwreck that further fractured the fanbase. By attempting to deconstruct the Jedi myth without mastering its foundations, the series became the symbol of an era where ideology and quotas sometimes seemed to take precedence over dreamlike storytelling and galactic coherence.

By trying to please Wall Street and secure dividends, Kennedy transformed Star Wars into a recycling machine, sacrificing the soul of the saga on the altar of immediate profitability.

The Collapse of Willow and Indiana Jones

The Kennedy legacy does not stop with Star Wars. Under her leadership, Lucasfilm tried to revive its other gems. The result is stinging :

• Willow : A series with an offbeat tone that failed to find its audience and was ultimately removed from the Disney+ catalog. A total lack of respect for the original work.
• Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny : A sluggish final bow for Harrison Ford which, despite its qualities, showed that the "Kennedy recipe" could no longer capture the spirit of 80s adventure.

"It’s the Fans' Fault" : The Ultimate False Note

In her farewell interview, Kathleen Kennedy does not deviate from her line of defense : failures are allegedly due to a "small vocal minority" and disproportionate expectations. By claiming that fans always want "the same thing," she seems to ignore that these same fans praised The Mandalorian and Andor, two projects where she had to give free rein to creators like Dave Filoni and Tony Gilroy.

She leaves behind a tired franchise, but one that is finally breathing again thanks to her own departure. By appointing Dave Filoni as Chief Creative Officer, Disney implicitly admits that the Kennedy era failed to understand what made the heart of Fantasia or the Force beat.

A New Hope Named Filoni

Kennedy's departure is not just the end of a contract ; it is an admission of the need to return to the roots. Dave Filoni, with his trademark cowboy hat, becomes the guardian of the temple. A protégé of George Lucas, he proved with The Clone Wars and Ahsoka that he knows how to blend respect for lore with innovation.

Kathleen Kennedy will remain a legendary producer, but as president of Lucasfilm, she will be remembered as the one who "milked the cow too hard," eventually exhausting even the most fervent admirers. The Campus turns the page without regret, ready for a new era where we finally hope to find the magic of the unexpected.

But what exactly does this new era hold for us ? Which films and series will define the coming years of the saga ? Find out in our next article dedicated to upcoming Star Wars projects !