‘Star Wars’ Reportedly Debuting Harrison Ford’s Han Solo Replacement in 2027
In less than one year, the Star Wars franchise will look completely different.
Star Wars Is Finally Stepping Away From the Skywalkers — Here’s What’s Coming Next
For almost 50 years, the Skywalker family has sat at the center of nearly every major Star Wars story. From George Lucas’ original trilogy to Disney’s sequel films, that bloodline has anchored the galaxy far, far away through generation after generation of storytelling. That’s about to change in a big way.
The Franchise Returns to Theaters
Star Wars made its way back to the big screen in May 2026, delivering its first theatrical release since Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019). That gap had allowed Disney+ to become the franchise’s main storytelling engine for years. The comeback film, Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian and Grogu, hit theaters on May 22, 2026, bringing back Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his companion Grogu for a big-screen adventure.
But the box office reception for The Mandalorian and Grogu was underwhelming, and that soft performance has fueled uncertainty about how Disney plans to keep Star Wars thriving in theaters going forward. As a result, a lot of that attention has already turned toward the film set to arrive the following year.
Enter Star Wars: Starfighter
Lucasfilm pulled back the curtain on Star Wars: Starfighter during Star Wars Celebration 2025 in Tokyo, confirming director Shawn Levy and star Ryan Gosling would be leading the project. Slated for a May 28, 2027 premiere, it’s shaping up to be one of the studio’s most unconventional swings since Disney took over the franchise.
Per StarWars.com, the film unfolds roughly five years after The Rise of Skywalker, but rather than following a familiar face from the saga, Gosling is stepping into a completely original role. Lucasfilm has called it “an entirely original story set in a period of time never before explored” and “an all-new standalone adventure.”
The studio also noted that Starfighter is just one piece of a larger theatrical slate currently taking shape, alongside upcoming films from Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, James Mangold, Taika Waititi, and a fresh trilogy helmed by Simon Kinberg.
The Cast Keeps Growing
The roster surrounding Gosling has swelled considerably. Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, and Amy Adams have all signed on, joining previously confirmed names Mia Goth and Matt Smith.
Flynn Gray has emerged as a particularly notable addition, taking on a co-lead role. Fans have floated theories that the film may explore a mentor-apprentice dynamic between Force-sensitive characters, though Lucasfilm hasn’t confirmed any plot specifics.
Notably, Starfighter is intentionally steering clear of Skywalker-era baggage. Instead of bringing back known quantities like Daisy Ridley’s Rey Skywalker, the story centers on brand-new characters navigating a galaxy still piecing itself together after the First Order’s collapse.
Persistent Rumors of a Larger Connection
Even with Lucasfilm insisting Starfighter stands on its own, chatter about its place in the wider franchise hasn’t let up. One theory floated a possible cameo from Daisy Ridley’s Rey Skywalker, potentially tying the film to the long-rumored New Jedi Order project. Another claimed the plot follows a Force-sensitive boy and his mother — possibly played by Amy Adams, who some speculate could be a Jedi herself — eventually crossing paths with Rey as she works to reestablish the Jedi Order.
Most of that speculation has since been walked back, further supporting Lucasfilm’s stance that Starfighter is meant to stand entirely on its own rather than kick off another sprawling, interconnected saga.
Fresh Leaks Add Story Color
An unverified report has surfaced with fresh plot and character claims. According to a series of posts from MakingStarWars.net, the film follows Gosling’s character, Cade — a Han Solo-type scoundrel rather than a Jedi — who has a close bond with the father of Flynn Gray’s character, whose name is said to sound like “Rone” or “Ronin.” Cade is reportedly tasked with delivering the boy safely to a secluded Jedi refuge on the verdant planet Adaria.
Earlier rumors placed Amy Adams as the boy’s mother, and the outlet suggests pieces of that idea may have survived into the final cut. The report also mentions that Flynn Gray plays the role with an American accent and that he and Gosling reportedly have a strong on-screen rapport. Another tidbit claims Cade wears a symbolic necklace tied to the story.
As for Adaria, the leaks describe a lush, East Asian-influenced world dotted with fountains, thick vegetation, and tiki-inspired architecture propped up on massive mechanical supports. The Jedi said to inhabit the planet reportedly wear beige robes similar to those worn by Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and a young Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) in Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace (1999).
The same source claims Aaron Pierre’s character is connected to the Jedi enclave and engages in a lightsaber clash with Mia Goth’s character on Adaria. It also alleges Eva Mendes plays Belle, a 650-year-old cantina proprietor decked out in gold. None of this has been officially confirmed by Lucasfilm.
Levy Says This One Will Feel Different
Shawn Levy has repeatedly stressed that fresh storytelling has driven the project from day one. Talking to Collider, he said the film is “an all-new non-sequel, non-prequel adventure. It’s new characters, it’s a new timeline. It inherits legacy themes, but it’s really trying to give Star Wars fans — and just movie audiences — something fresh, something new.”
He added that the movie carries “a spirit of play and big-hearted adventure with moments of real levity” reminiscent of A New Hope. Levy also spoke highly of working alongside Gosling and Oscar-winning cinematographer Claudio Miranda, calling the experience “a dream come true,” and noted that “my 10-year-old self is on set with me every day.”
He credited Lucasfilm’s support for the creative risk-taking, saying there’s “no pressure to be derivative or limited by an obligation to what came before” — just “a love of what came before.”
Lucasfilm Is Pushing for Originality
In a separate conversation with The Playlist, Levy revealed that Lucasfilm has actively pushed him away from leaning on nostalgia. “Every time I’ve asked, ‘Should I use this character that was maybe in that movie?’ Every time it’s, ‘You know what? People have seen that. Do something new,'” he explained. “There is no mandate or interference other than the constant encouragement, ‘Make this new.’ And that’s the truth.”
He also drew a clear line between this project and past entries, contrasting it with Solo (2018) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019): “Unlike Solo… unlike Rise of Skywalker, which was a sequel to two other movies and ultimately a ninth film in the Skywalker saga, Starfighter is all new characters based on new ideas that Jonathan and I cooked up alone and together.”
A Genuine Turning Point
Since acquiring Lucasfilm, Disney’s theatrical output has stayed tightly bound to existing storylines. The sequel trilogy carried the Skywalker Saga forward, Rogue One (2016) fed directly into A New Hope (1977), and Solo (2018) dug into the backstory of one of the franchise’s most beloved characters. Even The Mandalorian and Grogu leans heavily on three prior seasons of the Disney+ series, as well as the wider New Republic narrative.
Star Wars: Starfighter breaks that mold entirely — a fully original theatrical story, set in an unexplored corner of the timeline, with no reliance on what came before it.
Whether it stays a self-contained tale or ends up laying groundwork for what’s next, Starfighter looks ready to push Star Wars into genuinely uncharted territory.
What are your thoughts on this next era for the Star Wars franchise? Let us know in the comments down below!
