The internet lost its collective mind when the Lucasfilm updated its website, listing Dave Filoni–one of the masterminds behind Star Wars: The Clone Wars and The Mandalorian–as executive creative director at the studio. Lucasfilm has some good news and some bad news for us, though. The title is real, but Filoni stepped into it months ago, Lucasfilm told IGN.
“Dave has been serving as Executive Producer / Executive Creative Director at Lucasfilm for quite some time now,” a Lucasfilm spokesperson told the site. “We simply updated our website. Nothing has changed with his current and future projects. He is busier than ever in a galaxy far, far away!”
Even if the move happened months ago, fans are excited with good reason, and they’re not alone. Actors like Katee Sackhoff (Bo-Katan Kryze on The Clone Wars and the Mandalorian) and Ming-Na Wen (Fennec Shand on the Mandalorian and the Book of Boba Fett) both expressed excitement on Twitter following the news.
What’s all the hubbub about? Reception of the latest trilogy of Star Wars films, helmed primarily by JJ Abrams, was financially successful but largely disappointing for fans. Filoni, meanwhile, has helped bring some of the galaxy’s best moments in recent memory to life. He’s acted as creator, producer, writer, and director on many episodes of The Bad Batch, The Clone Wars, Rebels, and the Mandalorian, as well as on upcoming shows like Ahsoka and the Book of Boba Fett.
For many fans, the cinematic side of Star Wars feels like a bit of a mess between what appears to be a generally unplanned trilogy and a couple of side-story films that landed to mixed reviews. Works with Filoni’s name on them, meanwhile, have been received warmly by the community, giving him a reputation with many fans as the Kevin Feige of Star Wars–an executive-level creator who understands the material well enough to make sure that it comes out feeling like Star Wars.
