Bob Chapek Unveils Kathleen Kennedy's Fate At Lucasfilm
Since the release of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Kathleen Kennedy has received very mixed opinions from the fans. The fans of the sequel trilogy love her and think she is taking Star Wars to the next level, yet some fans of the prequel and original trilogy, absolutely despise her, and believe she has ruined Star Wars for them. Since Lucasfilm was purchased by The Walt Disney Company in 2012, they have received major criticism from some fans citing Kennedy’s creative decisions as what to blame.
Much of the fans who dislike the sequel trilogy, and perhaps even the anthology films, would like for Kennedy to step down from her role as President of Lucasfilm, and have someone like the creator of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Dave Filoni, take her place. Since the beginning of the Disney era of Star Wars, Filoni has consistently brought Star Wars content that fans generally enjoy. Due to this, Kathleen Kennedy has caused several fans to want her to be removed from her title, and fired from Lucasfilm.
Earlier this week, Disney hosted an investor’s call, and it was during this call where the million dollar question kept being asked to Disney’s CEO Bob Chapek. Bob’s answer shocked the fans when it was released that they “look forward to having Kathy Kennedy run our Lucasfilm operations for many years to come," erasing any rumors about Kennedy’s departure from Lucasfilm.
When further questioned about the potential firing of Kathleen Kennedy, and of new leadership for Lucasfilm were asked, Chapek defended Kennedy by saying:
“We’ve been absolutely thrilled that we can have the creative talent in our company the likes of Kathleen Kennedy. We look forward to having Kathleen directing Lucasfilm activities for many years to come”
This came as great news to Star Wars sequel era fans, yet it was shocking news to the rest of the Star Wars community, as many believed Kennedy was done having the high ground. The tragic storyline of the sequel era made many fans rage about Kennedy’s devotion to Star Wars, and her many promises. Other fans wanted Filoni to take over since all the content he has created for Star Wars has generally been well received by fans.
Despite the “horrible mess” that the sequel trilogy created according to several fans, others see the light within Filoni’s work. He created the hit animated series Star Wars Rebels, brought back The Clone Wars for one last season, and together with Jon Faverau created the very first live-action Star Wars series, The Mandalorian.
Even if Chapek’s decision to keep Kennedy as the president of Lucasfilm came as a shock to many fans, the future for the Star Wars franchise looks pretty bright for now. A whole new trilogy created by Taika Waititi, the continuation of The Clone Wars story through The Bad Batch, and the many Star Wars series coming to Disney+. Many fans, including myself, are excited to see the expansion of the Star Wars universe via live-action series, such as the upcoming Andor, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, and my personal favorite, The Acolyte.
Yes, the sequels and the anthology films we’ve gotten so far were in some ways “disappointing” to many fans, yet the future is ahead and Kennedy seems to be on the right track to create a better and more fleshed out universe within the Star Wars galaxy. At the end of the day, Kathleen Kennedy has succeeded as business woman and knows how to recognize talented artist that aren’t well known to many people around the world. She also seems very passionate to keep the legacy that George Lucas left. Only time will tell if the future of Star Wars is truly saved, or if it has fallen into the dark side of the Force.
Source(s): The Direct