Star Wars' Next Movie: Everything We Already Know About Starfighter

Next year, Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter will celebrate the franchise’s 50th anniversary in style. The Mandalorian and Grogu may have brought Star Wars back to cinemas after a seven-year break, but the real relaunch is clearly next year. We’ve got Star Wars Celebration in Los Angeles, the original cut of A New Hope returning to theaters, and Ahsoka Season 2. Most exciting of all, Shawn Levy’s Starfighter – originally delayed by the 2023 writers’ strikes – will finally release.

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Naturally, Lucasfilm’s attention is currently on The Mandalorian and Grogu. But Starfighter already feels like a true cinematic event, a franchise relaunch in an anniversary year, and there are rumors a trailer has already been prepared. Here’s everything we know about the next Star Wars movie.

Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu in The Mandalorian and Grogu

When Star Wars: Starfighter Will Release

Officially announced at Star Wars Celebration 2025, Star Wars: Starfighter will release in North America on May 28, 2027. Shawn Levy originally entered talks in November 2022, but development was delayed due to the 2023 writers’ strikes; Jonathan Tropper was hired as writer in July 2024, and filming began in August 2025, wrapping by the end of December. Starfighter is currently in post-production.

Star Wars: Starfighter’s Cast (& What We Know About The Characters)

Starfighter is our introduction to a whole new part of the Star Wars timeline, and it features a whole host of original characters. The cast include:

Ryan Gosling (Project Hail Mary, The Fall Guy, Barbie) plays the star, a pilot who must protect a younger character against dark enemies. There have been consistent rumors the youngling in question is his nephew.
Flynn Gray (Showkids, Wednesday, Sherlock & Daughter) plays the youngling in question, essentially co-star alongside Gosling.
Amy Adams (Charlotte’s Web, Enchanted, Man of Steel) is the mother of Flynn Gray’s mystery character, in what sounds to be a Shmi Skywalker-style role.
Matt Smith (Doctor Who, House of the Dragon, The Crown) plays the main villain hunting Flynn Gray’s youngling. Smith’s character has been described as an “evil general,” although Lucasfilm has not confirmed that.
Mia Goth (Frankenstein, Emma, X) is one of the two villains pursuing Flynn Gray’s mystery character.
Aaron Pierre (Lanterns, Genius, Krypton) is believed to have a significant role.
Simon Bird (The Inbetweeners, Everyone Else Burns, Friday Night Dinner) has an unconfirmed role, and his comedy background likely means he’ll add humor to the plot.
Jamael Westman (The Essex Serpent, Hedda, Good Grief) is a mystery character, but the West End legend’s Star Wars debut has been greeted with excitement.
Daniel Ings (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, The Gentleman, The Winter King) has teased familiarity with the film’s ending, describing Starfighter as having a “punk feel” that may reflect his scenes and character.

Star Wars: Starfighter’s Story, Timeline & Franchise Connections

We know very little about Star Wars: Starfighter‘s plot. It appears to riff on the “Chosen One” narratives, with Flynn Gray’s mystery youngling hunted across the galaxy by Matt Smith and Mia Goth’s characters. The “Lone Wolf and Cub on the run” concept has proved popular in recent years, especially in Star Wars; it’s essentially the same kind of formula as The Mandalorian in seasons 1 and 2. In this case, The latest synopsis teases that the outcome has truly cosmic stakes:

“In a rebuilding galaxy, a solitary pilot becomes entangled in a crucial mission as new threats emerge. Their journey may alter the future of the Force itself.”

The Starfighter logo seen at Star Wars Celebration 2025 deliberately riffs on the Jedi insignia. That has led many to believe Flynn Gray’s character is a Force-sensitive, and that Gosling’s pilot must get him to the Jedi. There have been consistent rumors Daisy Ridley will reprise the role of Rey; if these are true, the film may serve as a launchpad for the upcoming Simon Kinberg trilogy, although it must be noted Levy has stressed this is a standalone. According to Levy, he was forced to rework the third act of Starfighter because “things didn’t align,” but he believes it led to improvements in the plot.

When Will The Star Wars: Starfighter Trailer Be Released?

We don’t yet know when the full trailer for Star Wars: Starfighter will be released. Lucasfilm has often been criticized for holding marketing back till quite late in the day (especially for The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars: Starfighter), but this feels more like an attempted relaunch – the closest thing we’ve had to The Force Awakens since 2015. Disney has shifted to much longer-term marketing for major releases (with Avengers: Doomsday trailers debuting alongside Avatar: Fire and Ash a full year ahead of release). There are rumors a trailer has already been prepared for Starfighter, which may mean we’re about to get a similar approach.

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