Star Wars: Starfighter Is Dated May 28, 2027, and Ryan Gosling Has Already Shown Footage at D23

Photo: Habib M'henni, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Star Wars: Starfighter is dated for May 28, 2027, with Ryan Gosling starring and Shawn Levy directing. It is reported to be a standalone story rather than a sequel, and it has nothing to do with the old Starfighter video games despite the name.

Photo: Elen Nivrae, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Lucasfilm announced the date with a short teaser of only about twenty seconds that showed little more than the logo. Production started in 2025 and the full cast was announced as filming began. Footage was later shown at D23, and Variety described it as Gosling racing through the galaxy with a young sidekick. I could not find a full public trailer, so check the official Star Wars channels for the latest.

Photo: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

What I like is the choice of director. Levy has made big, warm, crowd-pleasing films, and a Star Wars story built around a pilot and a kid sounds closer to the spirit of the 1977 original than the sprawling family sagas of the sequels. Gosling is also a fine fit for a weary hero with a sense of humour.

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The risk is the calendar. Late May is a crowded week and Star Wars fans have been burned by uneven releases. A fresh character in a fresh corner of the timeline is the right instinct, but it still has to be a good movie.

Photo: Mike McCune, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A year out, I am cautiously curious. Would you rather Star Wars stayed with new stories like this, or go back to the familiar names?