In 2012, George Lucas handed the reins to Lucasfilm, and America’s favorite film franchise “Star Wars,” over to acclaimed Hollywood producer Kathleen Kennedy.

On paper, Kennedy was a logical choice. The eight-time Academy Award nominee’s career has arguably made her the most successful female movie producer in the history of Hollywood. Her resume is packed with iconic films including “Jurassic Park,” the “Indiana Jones” franchise, “E.T.,” “War of the Worlds,” “Poltergeist,” “Schindler’s List,” and the “Back to the Future” franchise.

Earlier this week, reports circulated that Kennedy plans to leave her role as President of Lucasfilm after 13 years. Yesterday, she set the record straight speaking to Deadline:

I will never retire from movies. I will die making movies. That is the first thing that’s important to say. I am not retiring. What’s happening at Lucasfilm is I have been talking for quite some time with both [Disney’s] Bob [Iger] and Alan [Bergman] about what eventual succession might look like.

Despite being such an accomplished Hollywood executive, “Star Wars” fans everywhere have been celebrating the news of Kennedy’s eventual departure from the brand. The question is why?

Over the past decade, during the rapid rise of identity politics, much of the “Star Wars” content released on Kennedy’s watch has not only shoved Left-wing politics down the throats of the franchise’s fans, but desecrated the story George Lucas spent nearly four decades building. Here are some examples.

The Sequel Trilogy

From 2015 to 2019, Disney adhered to the traditional “Star Wars” movie release style with its own new trilogy. Many fans were optimistic that “Star Wars” was returning after a decade, but were ultimately left enraged by the new stories.

Criticism largely focused on Rey, a scavenger who became a powerful Jedi with unprecedented speed, leading many to label her a “Mary Sue” — a character instantly good at everything, as defined by author David Anderson.

Further examples also include her outmaneuvering skilled Imperial pilots minutes after entering a cockpit for the first time, and understanding Chewbacca’s complex language without any explanation of how.

The need for a strong female lead should not come as a surprise, as Disney unapologetically hired Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy to direct a now delayed future film centered around Rey. In 2015, Obaid-Chinoy publicly stated, “I enjoy making men uncomfortable.”

The other main criticism of Disney’s trilogy, however, is how its finale undermines the legacy of the franchise’s main character.

In “Return of the Jedi” (1983), Anakin Skywalker, the chosen one, fulfills his destiny by destroying Emperor Palpatine. However, Disney’s trilogy reveals Palpatine survived, only for Rey to ultimately defeat him, cementing her role as the franchise’s new “boss-girl” hero.

“Star Wars: Secrets of the Clone Troopers”

In “Star Wars”, the Grand Army of the Republic consisted of genetically cloned male soldiers who were biologically indistinguishable from each other. Alongside the Jedi, they fought on all fronts across a war-torn galaxy.

They were bred from birth to be warriors, both mentally and physically. Yet, despite their specific design, Kennedy found it logical to reveal a transgender clone named ‘Sister’ in their 2024 book, “Star Wars: Secrets of the Clone Troopers.”

In the book, Captain Rex, a leader among the Clone Troopers, describes Sister’s coming out to them:

When one of our kind expressed her gender identity differently than her fellow troopers, she feared she’d have to hide who she truly was inside. Fortunately, her brothers in the 7th Sky Corps gave her the name Sister as a constant reminder that she belonged.

Whether you believe gender is a social construct, or you believe it is biological, neither makes sense when it comes to a clone trooper. By design, both socially and biologically, “Sister” is indistinguishable from all of his comrades.

“The Acolyte”

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney

“The Acolyte” is by far one of Kennedy’s greatest failures. A prequel to George Lucas’ own prequel trilogy, the show takes place around a century before the events of “Star Wars  Episode I: The Phantom Menace.”

The show is infested with forced, in-your-face politics. There is an obese Jedi, a matriarchal undertone, no significant straight white characters, and a coven of “communist lesbian space witches.”

Yes, you read that right. Communist lesbian space witches.

Despite being one of the most expensive TV shows ever made, costing $28.8 million per episode, the show received a humiliating 14% approval rating on RottenTomatoes.

One IMDB user rated the series 1/10, writing:

The Acolyte, the latest installment in the Star Wars  franchise, is a devastating blow to the fandom. It completely misses the essence that made Star Wars a cultural phenomenon. The characters are shallow, the plot is incoherent, and the series seems to prioritize ticking boxes over crafting a compelling story.

In light of its failure, Lucasfilm decided to cancel “The Acolyte” and not make a season 2.

When Kennedy took over “Star Wars” in 2012, she promised George Lucas she was going to honor his vision. Instead of doing so, to quote an episode of South Park dedicated to her, all Kennedy did was “put a chick in it and make it gay.”

Kennedy’s resignation is not only a harbinger for fans, but also the culture in general. The tide is changing, and society is beginning to distance itself from far-Left politics. Hopefully in the eventual absence of Kennedy, “Star Wars” can return to the former glory it once knew.

And may the far-Left influence on the franchise be shuttled to a galaxy far, far away.

* * *

Jacob Falach is an associate producer at The Daily Wire. You can find him on Instagram at: @jacobfalach.

The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.