Jon Favreau may play an important leadership role in the Star Wars franchise moving forward, even after he’s done show-running The Mandalorian.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy is eyeing Favreau for an increased presence in determining what’s next for the Star Wars franchise following The Rise of Skywalker‘s release.
THR is quoted as saying, “…with or without Kennedy, sources say it seems likely that Favreau will have a lot of say over the future of Star Wars. These sources also say Kennedy’s ideal team includes key roles for Michelle Rejwan, a producer on Episode IX and Lucasfilm’s senior vp live action development and production, and Dave Filoni, the veteran animation director and George Lucas protege who directed live action for the first time with two episodes of Mandalorian.”
Purely from a business perspective, it makes sense for Lucasfilm to keep Favreau involved with Star Wars moving forward. In addition to his (so far, mostly successful) efforts on The Mandalorian, Favreau has close ties to both Disney and Marvel Studios, having previously worked with them as a director, producer, and even an actor in the latter’s case. Considering how many Star Wars movies have lost directors since Disney acquired Lucasfilm (sometimes very early on in pre-production), it could be helpful to Kennedy and her brain trust to have a dependable collaborator like Favreau in place to contribute to the franchise’s creative direction post-Rise of Skywalker. And if Kennedy does decide to step away from Lucasfilm in a couple of years, Favreau would then be immediately available to aid with the transition.
Directed and co-written by J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Keri Russell, Anthony Daniels, Mark Hamill, Billy Dee Williams and Carrie Fisher, with Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant. The film arrives Dec. 20.
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