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Credit: LucasfilmThe Star Wars universe is preparing for a significant shift. Nearly 50 years after George Lucas launched the franchise, Lucasfilm is positioning the galaxy far, far away for a future that no longer orbits the Skywalker bloodline.
The franchise’s long-awaited return to theaters arrives next year, marking its first big-screen release since J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: Episode IX–The Rise of Skywalker in 2019. After an extended period dominated by Disney+ series, Lucasfilm is clearly refocusing on theatrical storytelling.
That effort begins with Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian and Grogu, set for release in May this year, bringing Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Din Grogu back into cinemas.
However, the conversation quickly moved beyond that familiar duo. During Star Wars Celebration 2025 in Tokyo, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and chief creative officer Dave Filoni were joined onstage by Shawn Levy and Ryan Gosling to officially announce Star Wars: Starfighter, slated 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 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.”
Since that reveal, the ensemble has grown considerably. Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, and Amy Adams have joined the cast, alongside previously announced Mia Goth and Matt Smith. One of the most talked-about additions is Flynn Gray, whose prominent role has fueled speculation about a potential Jedi-Padawan dynamic at the center of the story.
Unlike recent chapters, Starfighter seemingly and deliberately steps away from Rey Skywalker (Daisy Ridley) and the broader Skywalker lineage. Instead, the film is positioned within a galaxy rebuilding itself after the fall of the First Order, populated by unfamiliar heroes and new dangers. Lucasfilm describes the project as “an entirely original story set in a period of time never before explored” and “an all-new standalone adventure.”
For Shawn Levy, the opportunity represents a full-circle moment. “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.
Is Starfighter the Start of a New Trilogy or a True Standalone?
Despite Lucasfilm’s emphasis on originality, rumors continue to swirl that Starfighter could be laying groundwork for more than a single film. Insider chatter last year suggested the project may evolve into a trilogy, potentially featuring a brief appearance designed to bridge future stories.
According to @MyTimeToShineH, Daisy Ridley’s Rey Skywalker could surface as a connective element leading into her long-gestating “New Jedi Order” movie.
Reported plot details point to a young boy discovering his connection to the Force while being protected by his mother, believed to be Amy Adams’ Jedi character. That path could eventually intersect with Rey, positioning Starfighter as a subtle narrative on-ramp to Obaid-Chinoy’s New Jedi Order film.
With Ryan Gosling headlining and Shawn Levy directing from a script by Jonathan Tropper, expectations are already elevated. Whether the film ultimately launches a trilogy or simply plants seeds through a strategic cameo, Starfighter appears poised to play a key role in Lucasfilm’s evolving roadmap.
Levy has addressed the speculation directly, emphasizing that the project was conceived as something distinct. Speaking with Collider, he explained: “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,” he said.
He added, “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.”
Levy also highlighted the collaborative energy behind the production: “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,” he said.
“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 concluded: “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.”
Now that rumors about Daisy Ridley’s involvement in Star Wars: Starfighter are circulating, writer Jonathan Tropper has confirmed audiences will not see the sequel trilogy star any time soon. Speaking to ScreenRant, Tropper revealed that there are no legacy characters involved in the movie.
“Obviously, lightsabers are a part of that universe and that part of that galaxy. I’m so careful not to reveal anything, but essentially, I think it’s known that we have no legacy characters,” Tropper said. “You’re not going to see any of the characters you’ve seen in the other movies. So there are certain things that are still hallmarks of Star Wars that it’s good to have in there. But more than that, I can’t say.”
Levy reiterated that philosophy elsewhere, underscoring Lucasfilm’s commitment to advancing an entirely new roster of characters.
“Every time I’ve asked, ‘Should I use this character that was maybe in that movie?’ Every time it’s, ‘You know what? People have seen that. Do something new,'” the Deadpool & Wolverine director told The Playlist.
“There is no mandate or interference other than the constant encouragement, ‘Make this new.’ And that’s the truth,” he continued. “Unlike Solo… unlike Rise of Skywalker, which was a sequel to two other movies and ultimately a ninth film in the Skywalker saga, Starfighter is all new characters based on new ideas that Jonathan and I cooked up alone and together.”
As for Daisy Ridley’s character, the expected Rey-centric movie from Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is widely thought to be dead in the water, and the character’s story is expected to be part of the Simon Kinberg-developed trilogy set after The Rise of Skywalker.
In Kathleen Kennedy’s exit interview with Deadline, the Lucasfilm executive–who will soon be succeeded by Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan–explained that Kinberg’s script is still under treatment and that updates are expected in March 2026.
With The Mandalorian and Grogu arriving next year and Starfighter following in 2027, Star Wars appears to be charting a course defined less by legacy continuity and more by individual, filmmaker-driven stories. Whether that approach reshapes the franchise long-term remains to be seen, but Lucasfilm is clearly betting on fresh perspectives to guide the galaxy forward.
How do you feel about this next chapter of the Star Wars franchise? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!