Star Wars is charting a bold course into a new era under Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, who has made it clear that the franchise is no longer tethered to the Skywalker legacy. Instead, the focus is shifting to unexplored timelines and original characters.
The initiative begins with the theatrical return of The Mandalorian and Grogu in 2026. But the biggest fuel came at Star Wars Celebration 2025 in Tokyo, where Kennedy appeared alongside Dave Filoni, Shawn Levy, and Ryan Gosling to confirm a fresh cinematic chapter: Star Wars: Starfighter, hitting theaters May 28, 2027.
What sets Starfighter apart is its approach. Lucasfilm made it clear this film is not part of the sequel trilogy and isn’t connected to the Skywalker narrative at all. Levy’s mission is to deliver a self-contained story set in a completely unfamiliar period of Star Wars lore—no prior knowledge required, no links to past heroes, and no puzzle pieces to connect.
The cast supports that direction. Ryan Gosling leads the ensemble alongside Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, and newcomer Flynn Gray. Mia Goth and Matt Smith portray the villains, hinting at a darker tone, while Amy Adams’s role has sparked theories that her character may hold ties to the Force or possibly introduce a new Jedi mythology.
Those theories have fueled speculation that Starfighter might be planting seeds for future storytelling, including rumors of a Force-sensitive child guarded by his mother—possibly Adams’s character—who could carry impact beyond this film. There are even quiet suggestions it could intersect with Daisy Ridley’s Rey Skywalker and the upcoming New Jedi Order project. Lucasfilm has not confirmed anything, but the potential for interconnected stories has fans already debating the possibilities.
However, some of that speculation may have just changed direction. Speaking with On Film… With Kevin McCarthy, Shawn Levy revealed that the movie’s climax has been rewritten.
“We had a whole different idea for something in the third act, and then things didn’t align, and I was forced to come up with a new idea. And I’m literally right now shooting that section of the movie,” he said. “Everyday I’m grateful that the way I was supposed to do it didn’t work out, because the new idea that it forced me to explore is so much better than the original idea would have been.”
For now, Levy maintains that Starfighter is built as a standalone film. He credits Kennedy’s guidance for offering full creative freedom—an opportunity to make a Star Wars movie that still reflects his personal filmmaking style. According to him, the only real rule is to make something new, with no templates from previous films and an emphasis on originality across era, tone, and identity.
That strategy could reshape what Star Wars looks like on the big screen. With new characters and a timeline untouched by prior stories, Starfighter may represent the most dramatic shift the franchise has seen yet. Whether it launches the next cinematic phase or stands on its own, Lucasfilm has made one thing clear: the future lies in uncharted space.
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