The first Star Wars film set after The Rise of Skywalker, starring Ryan Gosling and directed by Shawn Levy, has finally been announced – Star Wars: Starfighter. After years of waiting, upcoming Star Wars movies are finally bringing the franchise back to the big screen, beginning in 2026. At Star Wars Celebration 2025 in Japan, the convention opened with a panel focused on the next project, with the story of The Mandalorian & Grogu set to be a focus. Before details about this movie were confirmed, however, a surprise was thrust upon the audience.

After Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy and head of storytelling Dave Filoni opened things, director Shawn Levy took to the stage to confirm his Star Wars movie, тιтled Star Wars: Starfighter. Levy revealed his film would be released on May 28, 2027, and will star Ryan Gosling. Story details were kept underwraps aside from the hints gleaned from the тιтle and the reveal that the film will be set after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Star Wars: Starfighter is set to go into production in the fall of 2026.

What This Means For Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter

The Movie Will Usher In A New Age Of Star Wars Storytelling

Given the uncertainty regarding certain active Star Wars movies in development of late, the reveals about Star Wars: Starfighter mean a lot for the franchise’s future. For one, the reveal that the film is set after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is incredibly exciting, with Levy hinting that the film aims to explore an era of the galaxy that has not been seen in any project before. If anything, Star Wars: Starfighter will be used as a springboard to explore the galaxy post-Episode IX, potentially setting up the state of the franchise after the fall of the First Order in preparation for Rey’s New Jedi Order movie.

However, the film was also confirmed to be a standalone adventure. Levy insisted that Star Wars: Starfighter is not a sequel, prequel, spin-off, or otherwise, and instead is a completely singular adventure focused on a new batch of Star Wars characters, spearheaded by Gosling’s mysterious protagonist. As such, Star Wars: Starfighter should not be expected to tie to any upcoming Star Wars TV show or movie, instead focusing on a new story in an equally new era.

Our Take On The Reveals About Star Wars: Starfighter

The Future Of Star Wars Looks Bright

Overall, the reveals about Star Wars: Starfighter are incredibly exciting. Shawn Levy is coming off the back of several successful projects, be it ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine for the Marvel Cinematic Universe or his work on Stranger Things. With a star as popular as Ryan Gosling in the lead role also, Star Wars: Starfighter immediately becomes one of our most anticipated projects in the franchise. To make this more exciting, Star Wars: Starfighter has a confirmed shooting schedule and release date, meaning the film may avoid the production issues that have plagued the theatrical side of the galaxy in recent years.

Star Wars

Created by

George Lucas

First Film

Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope

Cast

Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Ian McDiarmid, Ewan McGregor, Rosario Dawson, Lars Mikkelsen, Rupert Friend, Moses Ingram, Frank Oz, Pedro Pascal

TV Show(s)

The Mandalorian, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Lando, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Star Wars: Resistance, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, Star Wars: Visions

Character(s)

Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Rey Skywalker, Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Grand Inquisitor, Reva (The Third Sister), The Fifth Brother, The Seventh Sister, The Eighth Brother, Yoda, Din Djarin, Grogu, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Leia Organa, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren

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