By George & Josh Bate
After years of speculation, Kathleen Kennedy has officially stepped down as President of Lucasfilm and handed over the reins to new Co-Presidents Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan. For those attuned to the Force, this news wasn’t shocking, although it has raised concerns among some fans about the future of a galaxy far, far away. Despite the inevitable backlash to Filoni’s hiring customary to a fan base no stranger to toxicity, we think Lucasfilm’s succession plan is not only the logical one, but the most promising one – a plan that will put Star Wars into hyperdrive by simultaneously honoring the past and charting star systems never before seen.
Over the last decade, the very mention of Dave Filoni’s name has become disparagingly synonymous with a certain flavor of Star Wars storytelling. One only has to scroll absent-mindedly through Star Wars Twitter/X to see users poke fun at a predicted future for the franchise involving wild cameos, an over-reliance on nostalgia, projects that require a deep knowledge of Star Wars lore as a prerequisite for viewing, and lots and lots of Ahsoka Tano. All of these jabs woefully simplify Filoni’s contributions to Star Wars and overlook his genuine craft as a storyteller and filmmaker.
Let’s go back to 2005, when Dave Filoni first made the transition from Star Wars fan to Star Wars creator. The Pennsylvania-born director and artist had earned a degree in animation at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and made somewhat a name for himself with his work on the first season of Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender. Filoni’s work caught the attention of George Lucas, who recruited him to Lucasfilm Animation as his de facto apprentice. While creating The Clone Wars together, Filoni and Lucas developed an extensive personal and professional relationship, with the two spearheading the Emmy Award-winning series The Clone Wars. One could argue no working today has such an understanding of Lucas’ vision for Star Wars as Filoni, a point reiterated by the likes of Kathleen Kennedy and Jon Favreau over the years. His colleagues often reference his “encyclopedic knowledge of Star Wars,” something that Tony Gilroy’s work on Andor proved is not necessary to create a great Star Wars story. However, as someone who will be overseeing the creative development of all Star Wars projects moving forward, we’d rather have someone with a deep, long-standing adoration for and understanding of Star Wars, rather than a renowned filmmaker in his own right.
Love for Star Wars and filmmaking craft aren’t mutually exclusive though. During the years of training under George Lucas, Dave Filoni learned about the craft of storytelling and filmmaking, as much as he did about Star Wars. Rewatch the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated feature film from 2008 and you’ll see a markedly different and more refined vision than on display in the likes of The Mandalorian’s Chapter 13: The Jedi or the live-action Ahsoka series. Filoni has always had a penchant for shot composition and dynamic directing, but his forays in live-action and later work in Star Wars animation have shown significant developments in his work as a visual storyteller. Many of the criticisms that have been lodged regarding Filoni’s directing in live-action can be lodged at any of the other similarly accomplished directors of Star Wars television, including Robert Rodriguez and Deborah Chow, perhaps highlighting that the issue in the aesthetic of recent shows, if it exists at all, is broader than Filoni.
Filmmaking craft and Star Wars knowledge aside, perhaps Dave Filoni’s greatest attribute as a creative is his ability to cultivate strong, deeply touching emotions in his viewers. For us, this is what has always set Star Wars apart from other franchises. Yes, you have the jaw-dropping spectacle, lightsabers, Force users, and space battles, but none of that would have the lasting impact that it has had if Star Wars didn’t move audiences emotionally the way that it does. From The Clone Wars to Rebels to The Mandalorian and beyond, Filoni has demonstrated a willingness to couple spectacle with emotion. Whether it be The Wrong Jedi arc in The Clone Wars to Kanan’s death in Rebels or Din Djarin’s endearing paternal relationship with little Grogu, Filoni is adept at stirring emotion, whether it be heartbreak, pity, compassion, or joy, and will carry this forward in his new role.
Of course, Filoni has found greater success in some projects than others (there are lackluster installments of The Book of Boba Fett in his film/tv credits alongside Emmy-nominated projects). But those who pinpoint the lesser of Filoni’s works as a reason for him not to take over Lucasfilm may be revealing a bit of their selective memory. A mediocre (to some) Star Wars story here and there doesn’t cancel out the wealth of accomplished stories he’s been behind. The same can be said for George Lucas. Yes the original creator and architect of all things Star Wars made more than a missteps over the years and yet we almost always choose to highlight his accomplishments. Why can’t this logic be applied to Filoni?
Additionally, as Star Wars who grew up on The Force Unleashed and Genndy Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars series as much as we did the prequel and original trilogies, we can’t help but be excited that a creative with such a glaring love for Legends/EU is in charge of things. Filoni’s willingness to integrate aspects from Legends into canon is unrivaled by any other Lucasfilm creator. From big moves like the inclusion of Thrawn to seemingly minute Easter Eggs that mean a lot to fans like us, Filoni always seems to be dipping his toe in the world of Legends. However, he does it selectively and intelligently. Filoni recognizes that, as great as Legends was, those stories certainly became unwieldy and exhibited immense variability in quality. As such, he picks and chooses what he wants to bring into canon with an understanding that Legends was great AND not everything from Legends works in a canon that aspires to adhere to George Lucas’ vision for the franchise.
Those lamenting the decision to hire Filoni are also overlooking the fact that he has played an integral creative role at Lucasfilm for years now and has been vocally supportive of projects he’s not involved in that are very different from his own, including The Last Jedi, The Acolyte, and yes even Andor (despite what The Wrap reported and quickly recanted recently). Filoni, like the most thoughtful of Star Wars fans, knows that the franchise is not one-dimensional – mystical stories of Force Gods can exist in the same universe as grounded and relevant political thrillers. Fans who are assuming that Filoni will only commission stories like The Clone Wars and Rebels moving forward are overlooking these facts and need to trust that someone with such extensive knowledge about Star Wars knows that Star Wars is the most diverse franchise out there.
Of course, Filoni is not alone in his new role. He is accompanied by Co-President Lynwen Brennan, who will oversee the business and executive side of things at Lucasfilm. Like Filoni, Brennan has been associated with Lucasfilm for quite some time (in Brennan’s case, over 27 years). The decision to anoint two presidents of Lucasfilm, one to handle creative matters and the other to handle business matters, is genius as it will allow Filoni to operate firmly within his wheelhouse and not be stretched too thin or bogged down in business. This structure mirrors what Marvel Studios do with Kevin Feige and Louis D’Esposito and DC Studios do with James Gunn and Peter Safran.
Filoni and Brennan have been overseen by Kathleen Kennedy for the past 14 years and, as such, will take her teachings with them as well. Arguably no producer in Hollywood has received as much unfounded flack as Kennedy over the past decade and a half. In a recent interview with Deadline, Kennedy herself admitted that there have been missteps during her tenure, namely surrounding the Solo: A Star Wars Story debacle. But, again, selective memory comes into play for a lot of her critics. Kennedy has played key roles in the development of some of the most acclaimed Star Wars projects in recent years, including Andor and The Mandalorian. Like Lucas, Filoni, and virtually every other filmmaker in history, Kennedy has had highs and lows, but it’s disappointing that so many purported ‘fans’ focus so singularly on these lows at the expense of the highs. If you have a spare minute, just look at her IMDb page and list of credits. This is the woman who produced five Indiana Jones movies, E.T., Poltergeist, The Goonies, the Back to the Future trilogy, Hook, the original Jurassic Park trilogy, Twister, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and so many more iconic movies and shows. And this is the woman who has carefully overseen the development of Filoni and Brennan’s careers.
For those anxious about the future of Star Wars, we encourage you to have an open mind and practice something we, as practicing therapists with graduate degrees in psychology, often encourage for our patients – to practice radical acceptance. Radical acceptance comes from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (or DBT) and essentially refers to a skill (yes, it is a skill) to give yourself over entirely to reality. To push against that which is beyond your control will just escalate your anxiety and uncertainty into pain and suffering. None of us have any idea what the new era of Star Wars will look like, but one thing is certain – the franchise that has captivated audiences for nearly 50 years will continue to thrive. We suspect that, like all decisions, the decision to hire Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan to lead Lucasfilm into the future will come with its highs and lows. It’s inevitable that mistakes will be made, especially in an industry (and world more broadly) so rapidly changing with changes in exhibition, streaming, AI, and so much more. But we also believe Lucasfilm’s succession plan will deliver an exciting new era of Star Wars stories for us all to enjoy. As the franchise has always done, some Star Wars stories will resonate with a given fan more than others (and that’s okay!). There’s something for everyone in a galaxy far, far away and, with Filoni leading the ship, we think the future of Star Wars has never been more promising.