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Credit: LucasfilmThe Star Wars universe is charting a new course. Nearly fifty years after George Lucas first launched the saga, Lucasfilm is preparing to expand the franchise into unexplored cinematic space beyond the Skywalker legacy.
Next year marks Star Wars’ long-awaited return to theaters, its first since J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: Episode IX–The Rise of Skywalker (2019). After several years focused on streaming content with mixed results, the big screen comeback signals a chance for the saga to regain its theatrical momentum.
Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian and Grogu, will be released in 2026, and sees the release of Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his ward Din Grogu.
While details about The Mandalorian and Grogu are few and far between–even with a trailer— attention has quickly turned to what comes next. During Star Wars Celebration 2025 in Tokyo, Shawn Levy and Ryan Gosling joined Kathleen Kennedy and Dave Filoni to officially reveal Star Wars: Starfighter, set for release on 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 added: “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 previously confirmed Mia Goth (Frankenstein) and Matt Smith (Doctor Who) as the film’s antagonists, but new additions to the cast have expanded its star power. Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, and Amy Adams are officially joining the ensemble alongside Gosling, Goth, and Smith.
Perhaps the biggest development came with the casting of Flynn Gray, whose co-lead role strengthens theories of a Jedi-Padawan storyline.
Starfighter shifts focus away from Rey Skywalker and the Skywalker family altogether, instead exploring a post-First Order galaxy populated by new heroes and challenges. While remnants of the political aftermath may surface, the spotlight is firmly on fresh characters stepping into a rebuilt world.
With Starfighter, Disney and Lucasfilm are signaling a new creative era. The studio’s press release described the movie as “an entirely original story set in a period of time never before explored” and “an all-new standalone adventure.”
Shawn Levy reflected on the opportunity: “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.
Has Lucasfilm Already Moved Away From the Starfighter Concept?
New rumors suggest Starfighter may not be the one-off adventure initially promised. While Lucasfilm’s official line remains that the film is a standalone story, insider reports claim it could serve as the launch point for a full trilogy.
According to the social media scooper @MyTimeToShineH (via SFFGazette), a key cameo will reportedly connect Starfighter to future entries. The speculation points toward Daisy Ridley’s Rey Skywalker, whose own film has been delayed. Bringing her into Starfighter could strategically tie new storylines to the sequel trilogy and serve as a bridge toward Rey’s emerging Jedi Order.
Rumored story details describe a young boy discovering his Force sensitivity while protected by his mother, believed to be Amy Adams’ character, a Jedi. The boy’s mission could lead him to Rey’s path, effectively connecting Starfighter to Obaid-Chinoy’s delayed New Jedi Order project.
With Ryan Gosling headlining and Shawn Levy directing from a script by Jonathan Tropper, anticipation for Starfighter is already high. The possibility of a new trilogy—and a major cameo—adds another layer of intrigue, potentially transforming the project into a central pillar of the franchise’s next phase.
Though these reports remain unconfirmed, the suggestion that Starfighter could kick off a multi-film arc marks a significant evolution in Lucasfilm’s long-term plans. If accurate, it may redefine how audiences view the next era of Star Wars storytelling.
As with most early Star Wars chatter, fans should take the rumors with a grain of salt—but the notion of a trilogy launch has already reignited conversation across the fandom.
Shawn Levy Sets the Record Straight
Speaking to Collider, Levy confirmed that Starfighter is neither a prequel nor a sequel to anything and occupies an entirely new timeline.
“Well, for one thing, it is different in that it is an all-new non-sequel, non-prequel adventure. It’s new characters, it’s a new timeline. It inherits legacy themes, but it’s really trying to give Star Wars [fans]–and just movie audiences–something fresh, something new,” the director said. “And with a spirit of play and big-hearted adventure with moments of real levity that, frankly, A New Hope had in a revolutionary way,”
“My crew, my DP, Claudio Miranda, Gosling is my kind of central collaborator in the lead role. It’s certainly been a dream come true. My 10-year-old self is on set with me every day,” Levy added. “In fact, he’s going to catch a flight tonight to go back to the set and keep shooting on Monday. But it’s a huge, invigorating opportunity because Lucasfilm has been so encouraging of me doing something new.”
He ended by sharing Lucasfilm’s support of the project: “There’s no pressure to be derivative or limited by an obligation to what came before. There’s just a love of what came before.”
While The Mandalorian and Grogu continues its New Republic-era storyline separate from the Skywalker family, Starfighter is designed to stand apart from established events. Unlike Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) or Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), it won’t serve as a prequel or bridge—offering instead a truly new perspective on the galaxy.
Starfighter’s Jedi-Padawan Storyline Speculation Grows
Before Flynn Gray’s involvement was confirmed, reports already hinted that Starfighter would feature the first live-action Jedi-Padawan pairing 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 supported by official casting details, the film appears set to pair Gosling and Gray as Jedi and apprentice—though Lucasfilm has yet to officially confirm those plot points.
Levy, known for balancing heart and spectacle in Stranger Things, The Adam Project, and Deadpool & Wolverine, is expected to bring similar energy to Starfighter. Its standalone design allows new characters to shine while staying grounded in Star Wars’ familiar sense of adventure and discovery.
Meanwhile, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s New Jedi Order—focused on Rey rebuilding the Jedi Order—remains in development but delayed, possibly due to Starfighter’s fast-tracked production. Kathleen Kennedy also teased Simon Kinberg’s planned trilogy, which is said to further distance itself from the Skywalker timeline.
How do you feel about this choice for the next era of Star Wars storytelling? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic in the comments below!