During Star Wars Celebration Japan, Shawn Levy’s mysterious Star Wars movie titled Star Wars: Starfighter, featuring Ryan Gosling, was announced for release on May 28, 2027. Levy described it as a standalone adventure with new characters, not a prequel or sequel. The story follows a 15-year-old boy on a mission with his uncle, pursued by a male and female villain. Notable actors like Jesse Plemons and Jodie Comer declined roles. The project, developed with Jonathan Tropper, will have a smaller budget and aims to bring fresh storytelling to the Star Wars universe. Lucasfilm has more projects underway as well.
We discovered that Deadpool and Wolverine director Shawn Levy’s enigmatic Star Wars film, featuring Ryan Gosling, has officially been titled Star Wars: Starfighter. This was announced during Star Wars Celebration Japan last week, along with a release date set for May 28, 2027.
“The truth is that this script is exceptional. It has a wonderful narrative with original, engaging characters,” remarked Gosling from the stage. “It’s brimming with heart and adventure, and honestly, there’s no better filmmaker for this story than Shawn.”
“This is a standalone film. It’s neither a prequel nor a sequel. It’s an entirely new adventure set in a timeframe we haven’t explored yet,” added Levy.
While specific story details were not revealed during the presentation, insider Daniel Richtman provided more context, including the names of several prominent Hollywood actors who declined key roles in the film.
“Star Wars: Starfighter centers on a 15-year-old boy on a mission with his uncle, portrayed by Ryan Gosling. They are being chased by a pair of antagonists—one male and one female. Jesse Plemons and Jodie Comer were initially offered the villain roles but both turned them down. Mikey Madison was later approached for the female villain role but also declined. Another significant role is that of the boy’s mother (potentially Gosling’s sister or sister-in-law, though it’s not confirmed). Sarah Snook was offered this part but did not accept. Greta Lee was considered for another female character, a cantina owner that the leads encounter during their journey, but she also turned it down.”
While some of these names are familiar, it’s intriguing to note that several of the actors mentioned have declined similar roles. Could this be an indication that the script needs refinement?
The film is expected to “have a considerably smaller budget” compared to previous Disney-era entries and is characterized as “a more contained” storyline. Levy has been collaborating on the script with Jonathan Tropper (This Is Where I Leave You, The Adam Project) since 2022 and is also set to produce through 21 Laps, alongside Lucasfilm president (for now, at least) Kathleen Kennedy.
In the wake of the huge success of Deadpool and Wolverine, Disney reportedly sees Levy as “a must-have, must-keep” director, suggesting he will likely have substantial creative control over the film.
“The experience of crafting this story has compelled me to ponder that question,” Levy mentioned last year when asked about what he aims to contribute with his journey into the Galaxy Far, Far Away. “There are only so many times that Star Wars films can revisit the same part of the timeline, which has really pushed me – because I don’t want to create a Star Wars movie that feels redundant, nor do I wish to do one that serves another film.”
“I genuinely wanted to create something that feels organic to me, in both tone and character development. I believe there is certainly the Force and a link to something larger than our individual selves. These themes, combined with visual splendor and wish fulfillment, encapsulate what Star Wars means to me.”
Lucasfilm is also working on Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s Rey-focused film, James Mangold’s Dawn of the Jedi (which may not be the final title), and Dave Filoni’s “Mandoverse” crossover event.