Everything We Know About Ryan Gosling’s ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ Movie

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Following numerous rumors, Lucasfilm officially unveiled the title for Shawn Levy’s Star Wars movie featuring Ryan Gosling. At the Star Wars Celebration 2025 held in Tokyo, Japan, it was made clear that the following standalone Star Wars film after The Mandalorian and Grogu will be called Star Wars: Starfighter. Despite some skepticism among fans regarding upcoming Star Wars movies due to delayed projects from directors like Taika Waititi and Patty Jenkins, it’s exciting news that Starfighter is currently in production. Shawn Levy shared that filming for the movie will commence in the fall of 2025.

Despite the rapid pace of events, with a full two years ahead, let’s delve into all that we currently know about “Star Wars: Starfighter”.

‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ Is Set After ‘The Rise of Skywalker’

The upcoming “Star Wars” movie directed by Ryan Gosling and Shawn Levy is now officially titled “Star Wars: Starfighter.” Details about the plot are scarce at this time. However, according to The Hollywood Reporter, it has been confirmed that this film will be a standalone project, meaning it won’t be connected to the Skywalker Saga, which revolves around the storylines involving the Skywalker family lineage including Anakin, Luke, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren, and Rey who took on the Skywalker name.

The upcoming movie titled “Star Wars: Starfighter” is positioned as a sequel to the Skywalker Saga, taking place five to six years following the storyline in “The Rise of Skywalker”. This makes it the first venture post-“The Rise of Skywalker” within the Star Wars universe, ushering in a fresh chapter for the franchise. The Rey-led New Jedi Order film, currently in development, is set 15 years after “The Rise of Skywalker”, which implies it unfolds 10 years after “Starfighter”.

Exploring the storyline post-“The Rise of Skywalker” presents numerous narration opportunities, as fans are eagerly anticipating answers about the galaxy’s condition after the Battle of Exegol. Since Starkiller Base annihilated the New Republic capital, the sequel trilogy has left the governmental situation in the Star Wars universe somewhat unclear. Therefore, it is a viable direction for the film “Starfighter” to delve into this unexplored aspect.

During an interview with Josh Horowitz, Levy shared some insights about his upcoming Star Wars project, explaining his unique approach to the film.

Star Wars movies can only revisit certain parts of the timeline so many times before they become repetitive. To avoid making a redundant or supplementary movie, I felt compelled to create something that resonated with me in terms of tone and character development. I believe there is a strong connection to something greater than ourselves in Star Wars, which can empower us. This concept, along with visual appeal and fulfilling our desires, is what defines Star Wars for me.

‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ Was Previously the Name of a Star Wars Video Game

Some viewers speculate that the film titled “Starfighter” could potentially be a revamp of the earlier announced “Rogue Squadron” movie, which director Patty Jenkins was confirmed for in December 2020. However, since Jenkins is still working on that project, it seems unlikely that “Starfighter” will replace it. Interestingly, like “Rogue Squadron,” the title “Starfighter” has been used before, specifically in the 1999 video game “Star Wars: Starfighter.

The original “Starfighter” game was set prior to the storyline of “The Phantom Menace,” focusing on characters that let players control various spaceships in aerial combat. A 2002 sequel, “Star Wars: Jedi Starfighte,” was set before the events of “Attack of the Clones” and incorporated Force abilities into aerial combat. It’s important to note that while “Star Wars: Starfighter” might share its title with the game, it’s likely just a coincidence given that the movie will take place 71 years after the events depicted in the game. Nevertheless, some aspects from the game could potentially be incorporated into the upcoming film, especially the main characters.

In the past, Star Wars has taken characters from its former expanded universe, now called Legends, and made them part of the official canon, like Grand Admiral Thrawn. It’s possible that characters from the Starfighter game could be utilized in the upcoming feature film and moved to an earlier point in the Star Wars timeline. A particularly fitting role for Ryan Gosling might be Nym, a rogue space pirate. Despite Levy’s confirmation that the movie will center around new characters, it doesn’t necessarily exclude the possibility of incorporating some previously overlooked non-canonical characters.

Ryan Gosling Is the Only Confirmed Cast Member

As of now, specific details about the cast for Shawn Levy’s Star Wars are kept confidential, but it is known that Ryan Gosling is involved with the project, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter on January 21, 2025. This report stated that Gosling is in negotiations to lead the Star Wars feature film directed by Shawn Levy, who is famous for directing Deadpool and Wolverine. This was officially confirmed at the Star Wars Celebration event held in Tokyo, Japan on April 18, 2025, where Gosling appeared on stage wearing a “Never Tell Me the Odds” cap.

Levy’s choice of Ryan Gosling for the movie deviates from the usual practice of casting unknown or up-and-coming actors in Star Wars films. Instead of relying on well-known stars, Star Wars has historically used fresh talent to draw audiences with the film’s storyline. For example, Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher were relatively unknown before their roles in the original Star Wars movies, but they became globally recognized as a result. Therefore, Gosling being cast for Levy’s Star Wars film, given his established status in the industry, makes this production different from previous Star Wars movies.

It’s been revealed that the recent Academy Award Best Actress winner, Mikey Madison, won’t be appearing in the upcoming “Star Wars: Starfighter” movie. Interestingly, it was previously reported that the film’s director, Levy, had extended a leading role offer to Madison just one day before the title was unveiled at the “Star Wars” Celebration event. However, Madison declined the opportunity to join the project.

When Will ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ Be Released?

The movie titled “Star Wars: Starfighter” is set to debut in cinemas on May 27, 2027, coinciding with the Memorial Day weekend. This date holds special significance as it signifies the 50th anniversary since the initial release of the original “Star Wars” movie in theaters on May 25, 1977. Notably, this upcoming film will be launched a year after the premiere of “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” which is scheduled for May 26, 2026. Both films will bring “Star Wars” back to the Memorial Day weekend, recalling the strong connection between the franchise and this holiday during the original six films. After Disney released “The Force Awakens” in December, followed by “Rogue One,” “The Last Jedi,” and “The Rise of Skywalker,” the franchise shifted away from the Memorial Day weekend release pattern.

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2025-04-27 03:32