The most thrilling announcement from Star Wars Celebration 2025 was the reveal that Deadpool & Wolverine’s Shawn Levy is directing Star Wars: Starfighter, a new standalone, live-action film starring Ryan Gosling. Set to hit the screens on May 28, 2027, following the release of 2026's The Mandalorian and Grogu, Starfighter is poised to be a captivating addition to the Star Wars universe. Filming is slated to begin this fall, and the movie will be set approximately five years after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, pushing the timeline further than any previous Star Wars movie or series.

While details about the plot remain scarce, this setting opens up intriguing possibilities for the Star Wars lore. Given the sparse information on this period, we can only speculate based on the conclusion of The Rise of Skywalker and insights from the pre-Disney Legends universe. Let's delve into the key questions post-Rise of Skywalker and explore how Starfighter might address them.

Every Upcoming Star Wars Movie and TV Show

View 22 Images

The Star Wars: Starfighter Games

It's worth noting that Star Wars: Starfighter shares its name with a series of games from the PS2/Xbox era. The original Star Wars: Starfighter, released in 2001, and its sequel, Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter, released in 2002, were set during Episodes I and II, respectively. While the new movie shares the name, it's unlikely to borrow much from the games' plots, given its setting decades later. However, the film could draw inspiration from Jedi Starfighter's innovative ship-to-ship combat, which included Force powers. Could Ryan Gosling's character be a Jedi pilot, adding an exciting twist to the movie's action sequences?

The Fate of the New Republic

The Rise of Skywalker concludes with the defeat of Emperor Palpatine and the Sith Eternal, but it leaves the state of the galaxy ambiguous. The New Republic, severely weakened after the destruction of Hosnian Prime by the First Order's Starkiller Base, faces an uncertain future. The Sequel Trilogy primarily focused on the conflict between Leia's Resistance and the First Order, leaving the New Republic's fate unclear. In the novel Star Wars: Bloodline, we see the New Republic grappling with internal conflicts between Populists and Centrists, which could persist as the Republic attempts to rebuild.

Five years after Palpatine's defeat, remnants of the First Order might still linger, potentially rallying around a new figurehead. The galaxy could be in the midst of a power struggle, ripe for epic space battles that Star Wars fans crave. Additionally, the rise in piracy, as depicted in The Mandalorian and Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, could further complicate the New Republic's efforts to restore order. Ryan Gosling's character might be a New Republic pilot striving to bring stability to the galaxy, possibly filling the void left by Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron movie. Alternatively, he could be a local defender or even an ex-First Order trooper like John Boyega's Finn.

As a standalone film, Starfighter is unlikely to establish a new overarching conflict but rather explore the aftermath of The Rise of Skywalker, focusing on a villain exploiting the galaxy's power vacuum.

Rebuilding the Jedi Order

Luke Skywalker's dream of rebuilding the Jedi Order was shattered when Ben Solo, influenced by Supreme Leader Snoke and Palpatine, destroyed the Jedi Temple. With many Jedi students killed, Luke retreated to Ahch-To. However, not all Jedi may have perished, and the question of Ahsoka Tano's fate remains, especially since her voice was heard among the Force ghosts at the end of The Rise of Skywalker, yet Dave Filoni has hinted that Ahsoka isn’t dead.

Rey Skywalker is set to continue Luke's legacy in the New Jedi Order movie, directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, which takes place 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker. Whether Starfighter will address the current state of the Jedi depends on whether Gosling's character is Force-sensitive. If so, we might see a cameo from Rey as she seeks to recruit this promising pilot. If not, Starfighter could focus on ordinary heroes, similar to Rogue One and Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Are the Sith Still Around?

With Palpatine's definitive demise in The Rise of Skywalker, the question arises: are there any Sith left in the galaxy? The Star Wars Legends universe suggests that the Sith could persist beyond Palpatine, as seen in various novels and the Star Wars: Legacy comic. The Clone Wars series also introduced other Dark Side factions, indicating that new threats could emerge in Palpatine's absence.

Whether Starfighter will explore these Dark Side elements remains to be seen. If Gosling's character isn't a Jedi, the film might not delve into the Sith's current status, leaving it for future projects like the New Jedi Order movie or Simon Kinberg’s Star Wars trilogy.

Could Poe Dameron or Other Sequel Trilogy Characters Return?

Star Wars: Starfighter introduces a new lead character and is set in an unexplored period, but as a standalone film, it might still feature cameos from familiar faces. Oscar Isaac's Poe Dameron, known as one of the galaxy's best pilots, could play a role in rebuilding the New Republic, making him a likely candidate for a cameo. Chewbacca's current activities, whether still with Rey or on his own, could also tie into the story, perhaps with Gosling's character piloting the Millennium Falcon.

John Boyega's Finn, who became a symbol of hope for defecting Stormtroopers, might return if the film involves remnants of the First Order. Rey's involvement would hinge on whether Gosling's character is a Jedi, given her focus on rebuilding the Jedi Order.

Which surviving character from The Rise of Skywalker would you most like to see in Star Wars: Starfighter? Cast your vote in our poll and let us know in the comments below.

For 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.