Kathleen Kennedy Blames Fans, Misogynists, Bots For Star Wars Backlash

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Kathleen Kennedy, stepping down from her role at Lucasfilm, has suggested that negative reactions from fans have been a major challenge for the Star Wars franchise.

During an interview with Deadline after leaving her position, Kathleen Kennedy discussed the challenges she faced with the Star Wars franchise. She stated that the negative reaction during her time as president came from a tiny fraction of the overall Star Wars fanbase.

Kennedy believed these fans only wanted more of the same, and that they wouldn’t be happy with any new creative choices Lucasfilm made.

According to Kennedy, the biggest challenge is a small but vocal group of fans with extremely high expectations. Despite this, she stands by all the creative choices she made as studio head.

A “Small” Group That Shut Down Star Wars for Years

However, Kennedy’s comments immediately raise a credibility problem.

If only a small number of people were upset, it’s difficult to understand why the Star Wars movies weren’t shown in theaters for seven years after The Rise of Skywalker came out.

It also doesn’t explain why Lucasfilm reduced budgets and content on Disney+.

Disney didn’t stop releasing movies in theaters or slow down production because of a small group of people. The break happened because ticket sales were down, some projects were put on hold, and most fans were expressing their dissatisfaction.

Studios don’t freeze billion‑dollar franchises because of a small number of loud voices online.

The Last Jedi Contradiction

Kennedy’s own interview also undercuts her argument.

She later revealed that the negative response to The Last Jedi was a key reason Rian Johnson decided to move on from working on Star Wars films.

Even though The Last Jedi made $1.3 billion globally, Kathleen Kennedy stated that director Rian Johnson was disturbed by the negative reaction online after the movie came out.

If the backlash was insignificant, why did it derail Johnson’s planned return to the franchise?

That statement indicates the criticism caused significant problems, affecting those involved in filmmaking, upcoming projects, and Lucasfilm’s future direction.

Kennedy Points to Misogyny and Bots

Kennedy also pointed out that online harassment, especially directed at women, has significantly impacted the atmosphere surrounding the Star Wars franchise.

She said she gives female filmmakers a heads-up when they join the franchise:

I’m always truthful, particularly when addressing the unfair targeting of women who are part of this community. I believe in being direct and don’t try to soften the reality. It’s important to remember that the negativity comes from a small, vocal minority – it doesn’t represent the majority of our fans. Plus, we’re living in a time where fake accounts can amplify these issues. Developing resilience is key; you have to learn to not let it bother you, because you can’t eliminate it completely.

Rather than admit that many fans were unhappy with projects like The Last Jedi, The Rise of Skywalker, and The Book of Boba Fett, Kathleen Kennedy has focused on blaming online trolls and bots for the negative reaction, rather than addressing the core issues.

It’s clear her “Force is Female” agenda didn’t work out, but that is the fault of the fans, right?

A Narrative That No Longer Holds

Kathleen Kennedy’s statements about leaving Lucasfilm seem contradictory. She criticized a small group of fans, but also admitted their negative reactions influenced the direction of Star Wars.

Star Wars didn’t fail because fans had unrealistic expectations; actually, fans simply wanted a basic, decent story – something Mark Hamill has pointed out – and the current leadership didn’t provide it.

Under Kennedy, Star Wars stumbled because Lucasfilm didn’t respect the fans or the material.

Now that Dave Filoni is leading the way, the real challenge isn’t about pleasing demanding fans. It’s about Lucasfilm regaining the audience’s trust, which they previously assumed they had.

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2026-01-16 06:02