Top ‘Star Wars’ Exec Kathleen Kennedy Reportedly Retiring, Fans Rip Her on the Way Out
The article discusses the impending departure of Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, and contrasts her exit with the departure of beloved basketball player Luka Doncic from the dallas Mavericks. While Doncic received an outpouring of affection and gratitude from fans, Kennedy’s anticipated exit has been met with widespread criticism and apathy from the “Star Wars” fanbase.She has been at the helm of the franchise for 13 years, during which her tenure has been described as “mixed,” with manny fans lamenting her impact on the franchise.
Comments on social media highlight a general discontent with her leadership. Critics argue that her work has frequently enough embodied “performative malice” and a shift away from conventional elements that fans cherished. The article reflects on various social media reactions, pointing out a sentiment that Kennedy’s focus has led to a decline in the franchise’s appeal and success, particularly regarding film releases and quality of storytelling.
In essence, the response to Kennedy’s departure reveals a deep-seated dissatisfaction with her contributions to “Star Wars,” suggesting that her exit is viewed more as a welcome change rather than a loss, illustrating the difference in reception compared to beloved figures like Doncic.
You can often tell a lot about a person based on how their departure is received.
As a random recent example, Dallas Mavericks fans were devastated when the team shipped off 25-year-old face of the franchise Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in the middle of a Saturday evening on Feb. 1 (can you tell that this writer is a Mavs fan who has this trauma seared into his mind?). Otherwise despondent Dallas fans gave an outpouring of love to Doncic on the way out, thanking him for everything he had accomplished while wearing a Mavericks jersey.
The same cannot be said about Kathleen Kennedy, described as the “boss” of the Disney-owned Lucasfilm by The Hollywood Reporter, when reports broke about her pending departure.
In a story first broken by Puck News, Kennedy has informed Disney that she will be stepping down from her post sometime this year.
(No potential replacement has been discussed, yet.)
Generously described by Puck as a “mixed 13-year run” at the helm of one of the once-most beloved sci-fi franchises in existence, when news of Kennedy’s pending departure spread, it was met with a thunderous chorus from lapsed fans.
Joel Berry, the managing editor of The Babylon Bee, perhaps summed up Kennedy’s reign best:
Kathleen Kennedy’s tenure at Lucasfilm shows us what happens when you try to make art out of spite and hatred. Her work over the decade has been little more than performative malice against the Western mythos and the men who built it. Just a miserable body of work. pic.twitter.com/CRhqHIepfA
— Joel Berry (@JoelWBerry) February 25, 2025
“Kathleen Kennedy’s tenure at Lucasfilm shows us what happens when you try to make art out of spite and hatred,” Berry posted to X. “Her work over the decade has been little more than performative malice against the Western mythos and the men who built it.
“Just a miserable body of work.”
One user responded to Berry with a biting observation: “Case study in how taking a brand for boys that everyone loves and forcing it to be a brand for girls that nobody likes will always end in fiscal and cultural disaster.”
Here’s another X user suggesting that the only thing Kennedy did while overseeing “Star Wars” (as well as the equally troubled Indiana Jones franchise), was destroy it:
As Kathleen Kennedy retires from leading Star Wars, we recognize her for all she has done for and to our beloved franchise. pic.twitter.com/dPioS5ROnb
— Joe ⭕ Dot ⭕ Average (@JoeDotAverage) February 25, 2025
But perhaps the most popular social media response came from conservative content creator “End Wokeness,” which posted a clip of South Park skewering Kennedy’s insistence on adding gay women to everything.
(We won’t link to the clip mentioned above due to excessive profane language, but the post is at 29,000 likes and counting and is not that hard to track down.)
These are not the responses of a fan base that loves, cherishes, or appreciates very much of anything you’ve done.
And can you blame them?
If you take all of the woke pandering out — which, admittedly, your mileage may vary depending on ideological leanings — you’re still left with a franchise bereft of any true hits since early in President Donald Trump’s first term. It’s really just “Rogue One” that stands out on the big screen.
Sure, Kennedy oversaw some promising starts to “Star Wars’” streaming franchises, but they all fizzled out with haphazard writing (see: Mandalorian, The) in subsequent seasons or broken premises (see: Acolyte, The) from the outset.
(Yes, “The Acolyte” stank in just about every way imaginable from the beginning, but the concept of a murder mystery set during the High Republic is still cool for nerds like me.)
Even the “good” “Star Wars” shows, like “Obi-Wan” and “Ahsoka,” were just sort of OK and stuck in the mud following one season.
And, again, these aren’t just ideological gripes. Even uber-leftist sites like Kotaku and IGN admit that there have been some true stinkers under Kennedy’s stewardship, and those are two places you’ll never hear a critical word about DEI or leftist propaganda.
You truly can learn a lot about a person based on how their departure is perceived.
And the response to Kennedy’s departure speaks volumes.
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