Goodbye, Rey: Disney Reportedly Choosing New ‘Star Wars’ Jedi To Lead Movie
The Star Wars universe is officially moving beyond the Skywalker legacy—and this time, Daisy Ridley’s Rey won’t be front and center.
Lucasfilm’s big-screen future is finally beginning to crystallize. While theatrical plans have remained in flux, a couple of projects are locked in: The Mandalorian and Grogu, set to debut May 22, 2026, is one of them. Though widely speculated to serve as a feature-length continuation of The Mandalorian, Disney has yet to confirm if Season 4 is off the table.
But in recent months, another film has quietly made major strides: Shawn Levy’s long-gestating Star Wars feature.
Levy’s Star Wars Entry Moves to the Forefront
Back in 2023, Levy told IndieWire: “There’s a Star Wars movie that I’m developing. You never know what’s going to become undeniable and get made next.” He’s collaborating with The Adam Project screenwriter Jonathan Tropper on the script.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Levy’s project will steer clear of the franchise’s central timeline: “It is, however, to be unconnected to the so-called Skywalker Saga, the stories centered on well-established and beloved characters Luke Skywalker and his father, Anakin,” the outlet wrote. “It is meant to be a stand-alone movie, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter. Lucasfilm had no comment on any impending deal or the project’s details.”
Now, the film is next in line to roll cameras. THR also reported: “Ryan Gosling is headed to the great galaxy far, far away. The three-time Oscar nominee is in negotiations to topline the Star Wars feature project that will be directed by Deadpool & Wolverine filmmaker Shawn Levy.”
The casting rumor was first floated by insider @MyTimeToShineH, who noted the project was “moving fast.” If sealed, this would be Gosling’s Star Wars debut—and potentially the launch of a whole new era.
Daniel Richtman added fuel to the fire, reporting via Comic Book Movie that “it may start shooting as early as this Fall in the UK.” That echoes THR’s own intel: “If a deal makes, the project would continue to fly like the Millennium Falcon, becoming not only Levy’s next movie but also the next Star Wars movie to go into production, with cameras potentially rolling this fall.”
Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy recently spoke to Deadline about where the film fits in: “Shawn’s is a standalone Star Wars story that’ll take place post-nine, maybe five or six years out. And Mandalorian really stands on its own because there, we’re dealing with a whole other era in the New Republic,” she said.
“We have other development going on in that space as well. So that’s the space that we’re pretty much focused on right at the moment because, obviously, with Mandalorian, we have a pretty good sense of where that’s going. And with this, it’s all pretty much new characters. We may bring some of the characters back from the sequel saga, but pretty much new characters.”
Adding more intrigue: Richtman also reported that Jesse Plemons “has the offer” to portray the movie’s primary antagonist.
Star Wars: Starfighter Takes Flight at Celebration 2025
At Star Wars Celebration 2025 in Tokyo, the film was officially announced. Levy, Gosling, Kennedy, and Dave Filoni took the stage to unveil Star Wars: Starfighter, set for release on May 28, 2027.
As reported on StarWars.com: “Set approximately five years after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Gosling will play a brand-new character teased by the actor’s appearance on stage.”
The outlet added: “One of several theatrical projects still in development from Lucasfilm, including films by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, James Mangold, Taika Waititi, and a new trilogy by Simon Kinberg, Levy’s film–Star Wars: Starfighter–will star Gosling and go into production starting this fall.”
While some fans had expected Ridley’s Rey to spearhead the next theatrical outing, the Jedi spotlight now shines elsewhere. Still, Obaid-Chinoy’s Rey-centered project remains in development, although recent reports suggest production may have been paused to prioritize Levy’s film.
That shift hasn’t ruled out Rey’s return. As Richtman detailed on Patreon (via The Direct), Starfighter will follow “a Jedi (played by Ryan Gosling) [who] trains his 15-year-old nephew as his Padawan. They’re on a mission while being pursued by two villains — one male, one female. The Padawan’s mother also plays an important role in the story, and there’s another major female character as well.”
While earlier iterations of Levy’s film reportedly considered Rey’s inclusion, Gosling’s casting seems to have moved the narrative in a different direction. Notably, Damon Lindelof had once pitched a film set 60 years post-Rise of Skywalker, with Helen Mirren rumored to play an older Rey. That version appears to be shelved.
What We Know About Starfighter’s Plot
Though the title Star Wars: Starfighter may echo the 2001 LucasArts video game, the two are likely unrelated in storyline. The game was set before Episode I–The Phantom Menace (1999), but its theme of unified fighter pilots could inspire elements of Levy’s film.
With Gosling leading an original cast and Mia Goth also in the mix, Levy could draw from his talent for emotional ensemble dynamics seen in Stranger Things and The Adam Project.
And by avoiding heavy ties to past lore, Starfighter might offer something fresh for both legacy fans and newcomers.
Star Wars Theatrical Future
Beyond Starfighter, Lucasfilm’s theatrical slate remains varied. James Mangold is working on a “Dawn of the Jedi” prequel set thousands of years earlier. Dave Filoni is crafting a New Republic-era feature. Waititi’s project is paused, per Kennedy, due to scheduling.
Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron may be getting back on track. Meanwhile, a potential trilogy from Simon Kinberg is still in early development, possibly comprising Episodes X through XII.
But for now, all eyes are on Starfighter, with cameras set to roll this fall and a theatrical release locked in. A galaxy far, far away is once again headed to the big screen—with a whole new crew.
