If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

The Star Wars: Starfighter movie will be the first Star Wars movie since 1977 that's not a sequel, a prequel to anything before - and Shawn Levy & Ryan Gosling are keying into that

Promising new characters, new adventures, and a new period of time, Star Wars: Starfighter is aiming to be its own thing in the Star Wars universe.

Only God Forgives still
Image credit: Gaumont

Every Star Wars movie since the first for the past 48 years has been a sequel, a prequel, or a spinoff of something that came before. While nostalgia over our favorite characters and concepts can get us so far, Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy and Barbie actor Ryan Gosling see a way to do a Star Wars movie that's not about nostalgia about the things from Star Wars you loved, but instead going back to the source of why you loved those things to begin with.

That's the newly-named Star Wars: Starfighter movie, coming out in 2027.

"[Star Wars: Starfighter] is a new adventure. It's new characters, and takes place in a new period of time after the Battle of Exegol and after Episode 9," says Levy during an interview on Friday at Star Wars Celebration 2025. "There are so many opportunities to tell a Star Wars story that has all the heart and action and fun, but to do it in ways that are new and original."

Levy said that what he and Gosling, and their team are creating is a "... design of a world we've never seen on screen."

So while this is thoroughly a Star Wars movie, it's relying less on the nostalgia of characters and concepts from previous movies and instead leaning into why you liked those things, to create new characters, new ships, and new worlds of its own.

"There's obviously a relationship between these stories and the audience, but we've spent our lives in that audience, and we know how meaningful it is," Levy says. "As Ryan said, it's a big galaxy. It's a big galaxy out there, and it feels like there is an opportunity to do a movie that's not a prequel, that's not a sequel, and gives us the Star Wars DNA that we love with an adventure that's all new."

Star Wars: Starfighter is scheduled to open in theaters on May 28, 2027.


Get to know, understand, and love the Star Wars franchise more with our Star Wars watch order, guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies & TV shows, and all the Star Wars movies and Star Wars TV shows ranked.

 

About Star Wars Celebration 2025

Fans of all ages from all over the world will come together to celebrate the cultural phenomenon, Star Wars. Star Wars Celebration revels in the excitement of new movies, television shows, books, art, and comics while also commemorating the vast history of the Star Wars universe. Star Wars Celebration has something special for every kind of Star Wars fan!

Dates

-

Location

Chiba City
Japan

Visit the event pageBuy tickets
×
Chris Arrant

Chris Arrant: Chris Arrant is the Popverse's Editor-in-Chief. He has written about pop culture for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, Marvel, Newsarama, CBR, and more. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. (He/him)

Comments

Want to join the discussion? Please activate your account first.
Visit Reedpop ID if you need to resend the confirmation email.

View Comments (0)

Find out how we conduct our review by reading our review policy