The biggest news from Star Wars Celebration 2025 was undoubtedly the announcement that Deadpool & Wolverine's Shawn Levy is set to direct Star Wars: Starfighter, a new standalone live-action film featuring Ryan Gosling. Scheduled for release on May 28, 2027, after 2026’s The Mandalorian and Grogu, production is slated to begin this fall. While specific plot details remain scarce, we do know that Starfighter is set approximately five years after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, making it the furthest point in the Star Wars timeline explored in any movie or series to date.
This period of Star Wars lore is relatively uncharted, leaving much to the imagination. However, we can draw some speculation from the ending of The Rise of Skywalker and the pre-Disney Legends universe. Let's delve into the significant questions left unanswered by The Rise of Skywalker and how Starfighter might address them.
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It's worth noting that Star Wars: Starfighter shares its title with a series of games from the PS2/Xbox era, released in 2001 and 2002. While the movie shares a name with these games, it's unlikely to borrow directly from their plots, set during the events of Episodes I and II. However, the film might adopt some elements, such as the ship-to-ship combat seen in Jedi Starfighter, which introduced Force powers into the mix. Could Gosling's character be both a Jedi and a skilled pilot, enhancing the film's action sequences with Force abilities?
After the victory over Emperor Palpatine in The Rise of Skywalker, the galaxy's state remains ambiguous. The New Republic's fate post-The Force Awakens is unclear, with the First Order's Starkiller Base destroying Hosnian Prime and its leadership. While most Sequel-era projects focus on the conflict between Leia's Resistance and the First Order, the New Republic's condition remains a mystery. It's possible that a weakened New Republic still exists during Starfighter, grappling with internal conflicts as seen in Star Wars: Bloodline. Additionally, remnants of the First Order might persist, rallying around a new figurehead after Kylo Ren's demise. This suggests a galaxy in power struggle, ripe for epic space battles. Moreover, the ongoing pirate problem, highlighted in The Mandalorian and Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, could further complicate matters.
Gosling's character might be a New Republic pilot striving to restore order, potentially filling the role intended for Patty Jenkins' Rogue Squadron movie. Alternatively, he could be a local defender or an ex-First Order trooper like Finn. Given its standalone nature, Starfighter might focus on the fallout from The Rise of Skywalker, with a villain exploiting the galaxy's power vacuum.
Luke Skywalker aimed to rebuild the Jedi Order during the New Republic era, as seen in The Book of Boba Fett and other media. However, Ben Solo's betrayal and destruction of Luke's temple disrupted these plans. While many Jedi died, some may have survived, including Ahsoka Tano, whose voice is heard among the Force ghosts in The Rise of Skywalker. Rey Skywalker is set to continue Luke's legacy in a future film, The New Jedi Order, set 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker. Whether Starfighter will address the current state of the Jedi depends on Gosling's character's connection to the Force. If he's Force-sensitive, Rey might appear, but if not, the film might focus on non-Jedi heroes like Rogue One and Solo: A Star Wars Story.
With Palpatine's definitive defeat in The Rise of Skywalker, the question of the Sith's survival lingers. The Star Wars Legends universe suggests that the Sith could persist beyond Palpatine. The Clone Wars series also showed multiple Dark Side factions. Whether Starfighter will explore this remains uncertain, particularly if Gosling's character isn't a Jedi. We might need to wait for The New Jedi Order or Simon Kinberg's Star Wars trilogy for more clarity.
As a standalone film set in an unexplored period, Starfighter may not feature many familiar faces. However, Star Wars often includes cameos. Poe Dameron, the galaxy's premier pilot, could lend his expertise to Gosling's character. Chewbacca might also return, possibly piloting the Millennium Falcon with Gosling. Finn could appear if the film involves First Order remnants, and Rey's involvement would depend on the Force sensitivity of Gosling's character. Which character from The Rise of Skywalker would you like to see in Starfighter?
AnswerSee ResultsFor more on the future of the Star Wars franchise, find out why Lucasfilm needs to stop announcing movies and just make them, and brush up on every Star Wars movie and series in development.
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