One Flopped Disney Star Wars Movie Was "A Bit Of Regret," Admits Kathleen Kennedy

2 hours ago 2

Ana Dumaraog is a Writer and Editor at Screen Rant, where she expertly covers Network TV offerings, among other things

She has spearheaded the effort to make the site an authority on broadcast shows, initially starting with The Big Bang Theory franchise, NCIS, and One Chicago before taking on the specialization in general.

Ana has also covered a wide-spread of topics in the past — from franchises like, the MCU and Star Wars, to classic TV favorites, such as Frasier and MASH.

Ana brings clarity and enthusiasm to every story she tackles—whether reporting on new releases or offering deep dives into fan-favorite franchises. Her coverage translates complex entertainment developments into engaging, audience-focused content.

Ahead of Kathleen Kennedy's departure from Lucasfilm, she reveals the Star Wars flop project that she regrets the most. When Disney acquired George Lucas' galaxy far, far away, there was immense excitement, as it meant that a steady flow of new content from the franchise was coming. Unfortunately, to say that the relaunch of the universe has been tumultuous would be an understatement.

In over a decade, Kennedy and her team have rolled out all kinds of content set in the acclaimed franchise. Aside from the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Lucasfilm also spearheaded the content for Disney+ with the roll out of The Mandalorian in 2020. In 2025, the company also wrapped up the run of the critically-acclaimed Andor. That said, some endeavors weren't as successful.

Speaking with Deadline, Kennedy candidly talks about Solo: A Star Wars Story's failure being one of her regrets during her tenure at Lucasfilm. The 2018 film directed by Ron Howard saw Alden Ehrenreich's portrayal of a young Han Solo, serving as the origins story for Harrison Ford's iconic character. Kennedy admits that while Ehrenreich was brilliant in the role, it was an impossible situation, considering how synonymous the part was with Ford. Read her full quote below:

No, I don’t really have any regrets. Well, maybe a bit of regret about Solo: A Star Wars Story. I brought Larry Kasdan in on, and we were so excited about that idea. And then when you’re into something and you realize fundamentally, conceptually, you cannot replace Han Solo, at least right now.

As wonderful as Alden Ehrenreich was, and he really was good, and is a wonderful actor, we put him in an impossible situation. And once you’re in it and once you’re committed, you’ve got to carry on. I think I have a bit of regret about that, but not about the moviemaking and filmmaking. I don’t have regrets about that. I just think that conceptually, we did it too soon.

Solo: A Star Wars Story is the second of the so-called anthology films from the franchise during its earliest years with Disney. In 2016, Gareth Edwards kicked-off the endeavor with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which followed a group of rebels as they stole the plans for the Death Star that became integral to its destruction in A New Hope. The film has reached cult status in the fandom, praised for offering a different perspective on the fight against the Empire.

Objectively, Solo: A Star Wars Story was a solid addition to the Star Wars portfolio. Ehrenreich was brilliant in the role, as he felt truly like a young Han without just doing an impersonation of Ford. Granted that the film wasn't perfect, it could have gone as well as it could, considering the circumstances. Aside from its lead star, it also featured a solid ensemble with Donald Glover as young Lando Calrissian, Emilia Clarke as Qi'ra, and Woody Harrelson as Tobiab Becker.

It didn't help that Solo: A Star Wars Story released not long after Han's shockingly controversial death in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, where he was killed by his own son, Kylo Ren/Ben Solo. Perhaps if they waited a bit to do the prequel origins story, it would have had a better chance at succeeding. Moving forward, however, hopefully, Star Wars can revisit the characters introduced in the movie.

Created by George Lucas

First Film Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

Cast Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Ian McDiarmid, Ewan McGregor, Rosario Dawson, Lars Mikkelsen, Rupert Friend, Moses Ingram, Frank Oz, Pedro Pascal

TV Show(s) The Mandalorian, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Lando, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Star Wars: Resistance, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, Star Wars: Visions

Movie(s) Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, Star Wars: New Jedi Order

Character(s) Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Rey Skywalker, Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Grand Inquisitor, Reva (The Third Sister), The Fifth Brother, The Seventh Sister, The Eighth Brother, Yoda, Din Djarin, Grogu, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Leia Organa, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren

Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.