Ahsoka Creator Dave Filoni Now Has A Much Bigger Hand In The Star Wars Universe
Dave Filoni, who has been one of the most steady voices in "Star Wars" over the last 20 years, has just been given a much larger role at Lucasfilm. The man behind "The Clone Wars" and "Star Wars Rebels" has been named chief creative officer at Lucasfilm, meaning he will have a larger hand in guiding the future of the franchise. His role has been gradually increasing during the Disney+ era but now, Filoni will be working more closely with the top brass at Disney to steer the ship.
The news was revealed in a new piece by Vanity Fair, which details Filoni's journey, particularly centered around this year's live-action series "Ahsoka." Filoni has been working on the franchise for 20 years dating back to his days developing "The Clone Wars" with George Lucas. He has since been a major part of "Star Wars" over the last decade and change following Disney's purchase of Lucasfilm in 2012. It has all led to this moment. Here's what Filoni had to say about it:
"Now I'm what's called chief creative officer of Lucasfilm...In the past, in a lot of projects I would be brought into it, I would see it after it had already developed a good ways."
Filoni will work more directly with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, as well as head of development Carrie Beck. Together, they will usher in the next generation of "Star Wars" shows and movies. "In this new role, it's opened up to basically everything that's going on. When we're planning the future of what we're doing now, I'm involved at the inception phase," Filoni explained. Several shows are in the pipeline and three untitled "Star Wars" movies have release dates currently, with two due in 2026 and one in 2027.
The student becomes the master
"I'm not telling people what to do. But I do feel I'm trying to help them tell the best story that they want to tell. I need to be a help across the galaxy here, like a part of a Jedi Council almost," Filoni said of his approach to the new job. "Literally, hours now of Star Wars storytelling I have done," Filoni said before adding, "See ... I even phrased that like Yoda."
Filoni will continue developing his "Star Wars" film that was announced earlier this year and will tie together all of the shows in "The Mandalorian" universe. It's also said that he is "exploring a possible second season of Ahsoka." Presumably, Filoni will continue to work closely with Jon Favreau, who has largely steered the Mando-verse on Disney+ over the last handful of years. Speaking further, Filoni explained that his experience directing shows like "Ahsoka" has helped make him feel like he can truly aid the other filmmakers who are brought into the franchise in the coming years.
"To truly help filmmakers, it was really important for me to experience it firsthand. I can also lend a perspective on the challenges that telling these stories will present. I feel more capable of actually being helpful outside of just saying, 'Well, Jedi are like this, and Sith are like this...'"
It's difficult to say how, precisely, the change will impact fans in the immediate future. It will take time for the projects currently in development to make their way out into the world. Whatever they may be, Filoni will now be owed a bigger share of the praise or criticism that comes with them.
The next "Star Wars" movie, whatever it may be, is currently set to hit theaters on May 22, 2026.