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Credit: Inside the MagicDuring a tumultuous period for Star Wars, Kathleen Kennedy has spoken out about the beloved franchise. Her comments come almost a year after Disney unceremoniously canceled a risky TV project.
Disney Cuts Ties With Star Wars Project
From the outset, The Acolyte was no stranger to fierce online discourse. Billed early on as a “female-centric” Star Wars story, the series quickly became a flashpoint in the fandom, drawing both praise and backlash for its progressive stance.
With a queer woman at the helm and a cast led by actors of diverse backgrounds—including Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, and Jodie Turner-Smith—The Acolyte was championed for its commitment to representation. Yet, in equal measure, it drew ire from critics who branded it part of a so-called “woke agenda,” intensifying the ongoing divide in pop culture conversations around Star Wars.
Even with lingering mysteries—like the cryptic mention of Darth Plagueis or the haunting Brendok incident that seemingly ties to Yoda—the series ultimately wrapped after a single eight-episode season. Despite showrunner Leslye Headland’s ambitious narrative and the potential threads left dangling, the show was not renewed, reportedly due to low viewership.
However, many fans suspect the decision had just as much to do with external pressure from detractors who repeatedly targeted the show’s cast and creative direction.
Speaking last year, Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman addressed the cancellation directly, citing financial logistics as a primary factor. “So as it relates to Acolyte, we were happy with our performance, but it wasn’t where we needed it to be given the cost structure of that title, quite frankly, to go and make a season two,” Bergman shared. “So that’s the reason why we didn’t do that.”
While the story of The Acolyte may have concluded sooner than fans hoped, the impact of its presence—and the discourse surrounding it—remains a telling chapter in Lucasfilm’s evolving relationship with its audience.
Star Wars Alters Course, Moves in New Direction After Cancelation
While The Acolyte went further back than ever before in live-action, the series was still inherently linked to the franchise. Taking place at the end of the High Republic era, characters from the popular High Republic multimedia initiative–like Jedi Vernestra Rwoh, played by Rebecca Henderson in The Acolyte–appeared in the show, proving Star Wars enjoys building on already established foundations.
This interconnectedness is something Lucasfilm’s Chief Creative Officer is known for. Dave Filoni has established some of the more beloved components in the galaxy far, far away, including Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, while also lending his talents to bringing live-action shows like The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett to life.
However, some fans are growing tired of Filoni’s attempt to connect almost all the projects he works on–something he has become increasingly known for doing. Now, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy has seemingly diverted from her creative officer’s attempt to connect a lot of the projects within the Star Wars franchise.
“I really think that now we’re in a position where it’s broadened the possibility of stories and filmmakers we can bring in to tell stories that mean something to them,” Kennedy told audiences at a British Film Institute (BFI) screening of the original 1977 Star Wars. “…it doesn’t necessarily have to connect to every little thing that’s been done in Star Wars; it can actually be a standalone story that then builds into many, many other stories.”
The first big push in this direction will be Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter, which flies into theaters in May 2027. Levy, known for his recent billion-dollar Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) smash-hit, was long tapped to helm a Star Wars feature. The Star Wars Celebration convention earlier this year confirmed it was officially in motion.
Starring Ryan Gosling and Mia Goth, Star Wars: Starfighter is pitched as a standalone story set in a galaxy far, far away. It is set approximately five years after the events of the sequel trilogy’s conclusion, Star Wars: Episode IX–The Rise of Skywalker (2019). It will be the first time Lucasfilm has explored a post-sequel galaxy, something that is sure to entice fans back to the big screen.
Another signal of this confirmed change came with Kennedy’s recent comments on Simon Kinberg’s trilogy. Initially expected to be Episodes X, XI, and XII, the X-Men producer’s trilogy will move on from the 48-year-old Skywalker Saga and begin a new extended chapter for the franchise.
There is currently no clear direction for what Kinberg’s movies will take, but it can be expected to launch the most significant course change in memory.
Star Wars Films on the Slate Suggest the Current Sagas Will Continue
That said, while several projects align with Kennedy’s comments, a couple of projects are embedded in what has already come before. For one, the much-maligned Rey Skywalker project, led by Oscar-winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, is currently in development purgatory.
The Rey movie was confirmed at Star Wars Celebration 2023 and was set to explore the New Jedi Order, focusing on Rey as she rebuilds the Jedi.
Another project is Dave Filoni’s own Mando-Verse project. There hasn’t been much to say about this untitled feature film yet, and since its announcement, Star Wars pivoted to bringing The Mandalorian and Grogu—directed by Jon Favreau—to the big screen in 2026.
Chances are, Filoni’s movie is still on the cards, as a New Republic finale will likely draw big audiences if Favreau’s film and Filoni’s Ahsoka Season 2 land positively with audiences.
However, leaning into the standalone effort, Kennedy expressed her interest in bringing Taika Waititi on board for a movie once his schedule allows.
How do you feel about Star Wars priming itself for more standalone projects? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!