Lucasfilm is preparing to take Star Wars in a markedly different direction. Nearly 50 years after George Lucas introduced audiences to his space opera, the studio is looking beyond the Skywalker saga and into a future built on new characters and timelines.
The shift comes as Star Wars returns to theaters following a multi-year focus on streaming. The last cinematic installment, Star Wars: Episode IX–The Rise of Skywalker (2019) from J. J. Abrams, concluded a nine-film arc. Now, Lucasfilm is reestablishing its theatrical presence with The Mandalorian and Grogu, directed by Jon Favreau and arriving May 22, 2026. The film continues the story of Din Djarin and Grogu, portrayed by Pedro Pascal.
Yet it’s the studio’s 2027 slate that’s drawing heightened interest. During Star Wars Celebration 2025, Lucasfilm executives Kathleen Kennedy and Dave Filoni appeared alongside Shawn Levy and Ryan Gosling to formally introduce Star Wars: Starfighter. The project is set for a May 28, 2027, theatrical release.
StarWars.com confirmed key details, stating, “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 further clarified: “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.”
Casting updates continue to expand the film’s scope, with Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, and Amy Adams joining Mia Goth and Matt Smith. Flynn Gray’s reported co-lead role has generated discussion about a potential mentor-student relationship tied to the Force.
What distinguishes Starfighter is its narrative approach. Rather than extending established arcs, the film is set in a post–First Order galaxy with entirely new protagonists. Lucasfilm characterizes it as “an entirely original story set in a period of time never before explored” and “an all-new standalone adventure.”
Levy has been candid about what drew him to the project. “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 filmmaker behind 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine.
While Lucasfilm has framed the movie as self-contained, industry speculation has suggested otherwise. Reports floated the idea that Daisy Ridley could reprise her role as Rey Skywalker in a limited capacity, potentially connecting Starfighter to a future New Jedi Order storyline. Additional rumors described a Force-sensitive child guided by a Jedi mother—possibly played by Amy Adams—that might intersect with Rey’s efforts to rebuild the Jedi Order. Those possibilities, however, appear unlikely.
Levy, working from a script by Jonathan Tropper, has made it clear that the film is not designed as a continuation of prior entries.
Speaking with Collider, he said: “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 continued, “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 pointed to his collaboration with Gosling and cinematographer Claudio Miranda as a driving force 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 added: “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.”
That philosophy has extended throughout development. “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,'” Levy told The Playlist.
“There is no mandate or interference other than the constant encouragement, ‘Make this new.’ And that’s the truth,” he said. “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.”
Since The Walt Disney Company acquired Lucasfilm, Star Wars films have largely been interconnected. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) directly ties into Star Wars: Episode IV–A New Hope (1977), while Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) revisits one of the saga’s most recognizable characters. Even The Mandalorian and Grogu builds on a streaming series foundation.
With Starfighter, Lucasfilm appears ready to test a different model—one that prioritizes original storytelling over legacy connections and could reshape how the franchise evolves on the big screen.
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