On its first official day of production, Star Wars: Starfighter is already proving to be one of the Star Wars franchise’s most exciting movies since the debut of the sequel trilogy. Officially announced at this year’s Star Wars Celebration Japan, Starfighter is a standalone Star Wars movie starring Ryan Gosling, arriving just in time for the franchise’s 50th anniversary.

Aside from the fact this movie takes place some years after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, details, including other cast members, have been limited – until now. Star Wars is already proving just one day into the movie’s production that this is their most exciting cinematic endeavor in a long, long time, and here’s why.

Starfighter Is Pushing Star Wars Beyond The Skywalker Saga

For the first time on the big screen, Star Wars is ready to operate outside the Skywalker saga. The Skywalker family has been the definitive, central point of the franchise ever since A New Hope, but the franchise has no plans to continue tying itself down to that family’s story, nor their specific timeline.

At Star Wars Celebration Japan, during a panel that I attended, Starfighter director and producer Shawn Levy confirmed that the movie takes place years after The Rise of Skywalker, and has no plans to hinge upon any familiar or known characters. Ryan Gosling will be portraying a brand-new character in a cast of many other franchise newcomers.

Star Wars tends to have a tradition of placing familiar faces in influential roles, but Starfighter‘s ambitions go beyond those names and faces known from the Skywalker saga. In fact, Star Wars confirmed on their official website, StarWars.com, that this is “an entirely original story set in a period of time never before explored in Star Wars.”

While the Skywalker saga will always be iconic and beloved, it cannot last forever. We have new stories like The Mandalorian franchise that take place within the bounds of the Skywalker saga’s overall story, but having something like Starfighter, which is willing to step outside of it, is thrilling in a way that we’ve never seen before.

Starfighter Has An All-Star Cast

The biggest advantage to Starfighter‘s cast isn’t just an array of new faces. It’s the fact that many of these cast members are very well-known, and well-respected, actors. Gosling, of course, needs no introduction as the film’s star, but Star Wars has just confirmed that other big names will be appearing alongside him.

This includes the likes of Matt Smith, Mia Goth, and even Amy Adams, amongst the young Flynn Gray and actors Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, and Daniel Ings. This is no small cast indeed; many of these actors are household names, and they bring an element to Star Wars that the franchise has typically strayed away from.

Ever since A New Hope, most Star Wars movies have tended to cast actors who are, for the most part, relatively unknown. While there have been some exceptions, the main cast of Star Wars’ previous movies have typically been composed of actors who haven’t yet had their big breaks.

Starfighter, however, isn’t afraid to tie big names into its cast straightaway. This will be quite an experiment for the franchise, but if it works, it could have a big payoff. Nonetheless, it’s still exciting to think about these well-regarded names having a chance to shine in Star Wars, no matter the nature of their roles.

The Leads Of Starfighter Are Perfect To Draw In All New Viewers

There may be drawbacks to having such a star-studded cast, but it already seems as if the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Many of these big names will be able to draw new viewers to Star Wars, if only by encouraging the individual actors’ fans to come to the theater and watch Starfighter specifically.

For example, my sister isn’t nearly as much of a Star Wars fan as I am, and has in fact taken a big step away from the franchise ever since our childhood. When I told her about Starfighter‘s cast, though, she said that she would be more than willing to go to the movie just to see these actors shine in a Star Wars movie.

I know my sister isn’t the only one who will feel this way. Horror fans who enjoy Mia Goth’s work will be willing to give Star Wars a chance, and longtime Doctor Who fans may even be enticed to follow one of their favorite Doctors by supporting Matt Smith’s galactic role.

Whatever the case may be, it’s clear that Star Wars has a vision with Starfighter, and they know these names – whether they’re big or small – will be able to execute that vision and reach their audience, in addition to a brand-new one. Starfighter already feels like the relaunch the franchise truly needs, ten years after the sequel trilogy’s debut.

Star Wars: Starfighter hits theaters May 28, 2027.