In a jolt of excitement that reverberated through the galaxy of “Star Wars” fandom, Lucasfilm today announced that Academy Award-nominated actor Ryan Gosling will headline a brand new standalone film within the beloved franchise. The news broke at Star Wars Celebration 2025 in Tokyo, sending waves of cheers through the lightsaber-wielding crowd.
The project, officially titled “Star Wars: Starfighter,” will be directed by Shawn Levy, known for his work on hits like “Deadpool & Wolverine” and the “Night at the Museum” franchise. The film is slated for a theatrical release on May 28, 2027.
Taking to the stage at the Makuhari Messe center, Gosling, sporting a baseball cap emblazoned with the iconic “Star Wars” quote “Never Tell Me The Odds,” shared a personal connection to the saga. He revealed a childhood photo of his bedsheets, which were covered in illustrations from George Lucas’s space epic. “I guess I was dreaming about ‘Star Wars’ even before I saw the film,” Gosling quipped, hinting at a lifelong admiration for the universe.
Director Shawn Levy, who joined Gosling on stage, offered intriguing details about the project. He emphasized that “Star Wars: Starfighter” will not be a prequel or a sequel within the established Skywalker saga. Instead, it will carve its own path as a standalone adventure, introducing new characters and exploring a time period within the “Star Wars” timeline that has yet to be deeply explored on screen. The film is set roughly five years after the events of 2019’s “Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker.”
“This is a new adventure. It’s new characters. It takes place in a new period of time after the Battle of Exegol, after Episode 9,” Levy explained, generating considerable buzz about the fresh narrative possibilities.
While plot specifics remain tightly under wraps, both Gosling and Levy expressed their enthusiasm for the project. Gosling lauded the script as “so good” with “great and original characters,” filled with “so much heart and adventure.” Levy echoed this sentiment, stating that there wasn’t a “more perfect filmmaker for this particular story” than himself.
The announcement of “Star Wars: Starfighter” marks a significant addition to Lucasfilm’s slate of upcoming projects, which includes “The Mandalorian & Grogu” film and new installments in the “Rey Skywalker” story, as well as projects from directors like James Mangold and Taika Waititi.
The casting of a major star like Ryan Gosling in a standalone “Star Wars” film signals a continued commitment to expanding the universe with compelling new narratives and characters, promising a thrilling ride for both longtime fans and newcomers to the galaxy far, far away. Production on “Star Wars: Starfighter” is set to begin later this year, with anticipation already building for this exciting new chapter.