Credit: Inside the MagicThe galaxy far, far away is preparing for a bold new phase. Nearly five decades since George Lucas first introduced Star Wars, Lucasfilm is now steering the franchise into uncharted cinematic territory beyond the Skywalker Saga.
Starting next year, the studio will return to theaters for the first time since J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: Episode IX–The Rise of Skywalker (2019). With its streaming output receiving mixed reception, the big-screen comeback could give Star Wars the shot of energy it’s been missing.
Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian and Grogu, set for 2026, has not been fully detailed by Lucasfilm, but the project is widely considered to be the continuation of the Disney+ series rather than a fourth season.
With Pedro Pascal balancing a demanding schedule, many view the movie as the possible conclusion of Din Djarin’s arc. However, should Dave Filoni’s planned crossover film move ahead, characters like Din Grogu, Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson), Jod Na Nawood (Jude Law), and Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) could still return to the screen.
Even though no footage or synopsis has been revealed for The Mandalorian and Grogu, focus has already shifted to Lucasfilm’s next project, one that promises to redefine the future of the saga. During Star Wars Celebration 2025 in Tokyo, Shawn Levy and Ryan Gosling joined Kathleen Kennedy and Dave Filoni on stage to confirm Star Wars: Starfighter, arriving in theaters May 28, 2027.
According to StarWars.com, “Set approximately five years after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Gosling will play a brand-new character teased by the actor’s appearance on stage.”
The announcement continued: “One of several theatrical projects still in development from Lucasfilm, including films by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, James Mangold, Taika Waititi, and a new trilogy by Simon Kinberg, Levy’s film–Star Wars: Starfighter–will star Gosling and go into production starting this fall.”
Lucasfilm had already unveiled Mia Goth (Pearl) and Matt Smith (Doctor Who) as the villains of Levy’s film, but the latest casting update adds even more star power. Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, and Amy Adams are now confirmed to join the galaxy alongside Gosling, Goth, and Smith.
The biggest reveal, however, is that Flynn Gray will co-lead the film, seemingly confirming speculation about a Jedi-Padawan storyline.
Starfighter is shifting away from Rey Skywalker as the focal point, instead introducing new faces in the aftermath of Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) and the First Order’s defeat. While the larger political fallout may linger in the background, the film appears centered on fresh characters navigating a new era.
Disney and Lucasfilm are making their intentions clear: the Skywalker Saga has closed, and a new age of storytelling is beginning.
A press release officially confirmed that filming has started, describing Starfighter as “an entirely original story set in a period of time never before explored” and calling it an “all-new standalone adventure.”
Shawn Levy praised the opportunity in the release, explaining: “From the day Kathy Kennedy called me up, inviting me to develop an original adventure in this incredible Star Wars galaxy, this experience has been a dream come true,” said the Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) filmmaker.
However…
Has Lucasfilm Already Moved Away From the Starfighter Concept?
Rumors are beginning to swirl around Star Wars: Starfighter, the highly anticipated film set to arrive in theaters on May 28, 2027. While Lucasfilm has long described the project as a “standalone adventure” taking place in a previously unexplored era of the galaxy far, far away, new reports suggest the movie may not be quite as self-contained as initially promised. According to insider chatter, Starfighter is being positioned as the opening chapter in a full trilogy, with Lucasfilm already laying the groundwork for follow-up installments.
Part of that setup reportedly involves a major cameo appearance that could surprise longtime fans. The claim, which comes from the social media scooper @MyTimeToShineH (via SFFGazette), hints that the film will feature a familiar face to help establish connections for future stories.
Speculation has quickly centered on Daisy Ridley’s Rey Skywalker, whose own standalone film has been in development but delayed. By weaving her into Starfighter’s story, Lucasfilm may be using this new trilogy as a bridge to Rey’s Jedi Order and her evolving role in the post-Skywalker Saga era.
The rumored narrative threads could make that link even more seamless. Reports describe the story as following a boy who discovers his Force sensitivity while under the protection of his mother, said to be played by Amy Adams in the role of a Jedi. The child is tasked with a mission that could eventually draw him toward Rey’s path, creating an organic crossover between the new characters and the established sequel trilogy. This could then be how Obaid-Chinoy’s New Jedi Order movie is brought back to life at Lucasfilm.
With Ryan Gosling leading the cast and Shawn Levy directing from a script by Jonathan Tropper, the film is already generating intrigue–and the suggestion of a bigger connected plan raises the stakes even higher.
Though these details remain firmly in the rumor category, the suggestion that Starfighter is no longer a one-off but instead the first part of a broader story marks a major shift in how fans may view the project. If true, it could reshape audience expectations and position the film as a new cornerstone of the franchise, rather than a disconnected experiment.
As always with early Star Wars speculation, it’s wise to take the talk with caution–but the possibility of a trilogy launch, complete with a surprise cameo, has certainly reignited conversation about what the galaxy far, far away has in store.
While The Mandalorian and Grogu unfolds apart from the Skywalker storyline, it still intertwines with Disney+ projects set in the New Republic. In contrast, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) are directly tied back to core Skywalker events, whether bridging Episode IV—A New Hope (1977) or exploring Han Solo’s backstory.
Starfighter’s Jedi-Padawan Storyline Speculation Grows
Before Gray’s casting, reports suggested Starfighter would feature the franchise’s first live-action Jedi-Padawan dynamic since the prequels.
Daniel Richtman revealed: “A Jedi (played by Ryan Gosling) trains his 15-year-old nephew as his Padawan. They’re on a mission while being pursued by two villains–one male, one female,” he explained. “The Padawan’s mother also plays an important role in the story, and there’s another major female character as well.”
Richtman later added, “The news of Star Wars: Starfighter‘s latest casting comes from entertainment insider Daniel Richtman’s Patreon, which revealed that the lead of Shawn Levy’s film has been found and that they are a ‘young child actor,'” The Direct reported. “The young star will appear alongside Ryan Gosling.”
Now validated by official casting news, the storyline positions Gosling and Gray as Jedi and apprentice, though Lucasfilm has not formally confirmed those details.
With past work like Stranger Things, The Adam Project, and Deadpool & Wolverine, Levy is known for balancing spectacle, humor, and character-driven drama—traits that may shape Starfighter’s tone. The film’s standalone nature means it has the freedom to introduce new characters while still maintaining recognizable Star Wars DNA.
Meanwhile, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s New Jedi Order project, said to focus on Rey rebuilding the Jedi Order, has not been canceled but is reportedly delayed—possibly due to Starfighter’s accelerated timeline. Kennedy has also teased Simon Kinberg’s trilogy, which will similarly move away from Skywalker-era storytelling.
How Starfighter Came To Be and The Road Ahead for Star Wars Films
Shawn Levy first teased his involvement in late 2023, telling IndieWire, “There’s a Star Wars movie that I’m developing. You never know what’s going to become undeniable and get made next.” Working with Jonathan Tropper, his collaborator from The Adam Project, Levy already had a draft underway.
The Hollywood Reporter detailed that Levy’s project “is, however, to be unconnected to the so-called Skywalker Saga, the stories centered on well-established and beloved characters Luke Skywalker and his father, Anakin.”
“It is meant to be a stand-alone movie, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter. Lucasfilm had no comment on any impending deal or the project’s details,” the outlet added.
The publication later confirmed casting news: “Ryan Gosling is headed to the great galaxy far, far away. The three-time Oscar nominee is in negotiations to topline the Star Wars feature project that will be directed by Deadpool & Wolverine filmmaker Shawn Levy.”
Rumors of Gosling’s involvement gained traction through insider @MyTimeToShineH, who claimed the movie was “moving fast” and hinted the actor had already signed on. Starfighter will now officially mark Gosling’s debut in the franchise.
Daniel Richtman further noted that “it may start shooting as early as this Fall in the UK.” The Hollywood Reporter echoed the timeline, writing: “If a deal makes, the project would continue to fly like the Millennium Falcon, becoming not only Levy’s next movie but also the next Star Wars movie to go into production, with cameras potentially rolling this fall.”
In a Deadline interview, Kathleen Kennedy placed Levy’s film within the broader canon: “Shawn’s is a standalone Star Wars story that’ll take place post-nine, maybe five or six years out. And Mandalorian really stands on its own because there, we’re dealing with a whole other era in the New Republic,” she explained.
“We have other development going on in that space as well. So that’s the space that we’re pretty much focused on right at the moment because, obviously, with Mandalorian, we have a pretty good sense of where that’s going. And with this, it’s all pretty much new characters. We may bring some of the characters back from the sequel saga, but pretty much new characters.”
The rest of Lucasfilm’s slate remains expansive. James Mangold is set to direct Dawn of the Jedi, which explores the earliest history of the Jedi Order. Dave Filoni’s theatrical feature will connect with the Mandalorian-era storyline.
Taika Waititi’s project remains delayed, Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron may still resurface, and Simon Kinberg’s trilogy is reportedly in the earliest stages of development, with rumors suggesting it could serve as Episodes X through XII.
The consecutive releases of The Mandalorian and Grogu in 2026 and Starfighter in 2027 highlight Lucasfilm’s push for theatrical Star Wars experiences again, in line with Disney CEO Bob Iger’s call to refocus on theaters instead of overloading streaming.
How do you feel about Lucasfilm reportedly already changing this new era of Star Wars storytelling? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic in the comments below!