Star Wars is standing at a major crossroads right now, especially after the sequel trilogy failed to live up to the hype and there's been a change in leadership at the top of Lucasfilm.
With Dave Filoni now steering the creative ship, Lucasfilm seems determined to play to its strengths by doubling down on stories set in the Original Trilogy era, putting the focus back on heavy hitters like Luke, Leia, Han, and Darth Vader.
Naturally, whenever a franchise of this size shifts its focus, the rumor mill goes into overdrive.
Some online leaks hit the mark, while others are just pure fan wishful thinking. So, where do those constant rumors about a standalone Darth Vader movie actually land?
At the opening night gala for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art over the weekend, Anakin Skywalker himself, Hayden Christensen, spoke with E! News to address that rumor.
"Oh, I think those are just rumors," Christensen said with a smile. "Of course, I would be thrilled to get to do that, but right now, those are just rumors."
To date, Christensen has suited up as Darth Vader three times, including Revenge of the Sith in 2005, the 2022 Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series and 2023's Ahsoka series.
Naturally, Luke Skywalker actor Mark Hamill was also in attendance to celebrate the opening night of the museum and he was asked about Ryan Gosling joining the franchise, as he'll play pilot Cade Aubberon in Star Wars: Starfighter, which hits United States theaters on May 28, 2027.
"He's great in everything," gushed Hamill, adding that he wouldn't think of giving a talented actor like Gosling any advice. "Perfect personality for it, I just know he'll be great, he's great at everything!"
Following a brief onslaught of streaming series, Star Wars is charging full steam, returning to more of a cinematic focus.
Up next is director Shawn Levy’s standalone adventure Star Wars: Starfighter, with Gosling set to lead.
Looking further down the road, Lucasfilm has a stacked slate that includes Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s New Jedi Order movie bringing back Rey, James Mangold’s Dawn of the Jedi taking us back to the Force's origins, Dave Filoni’s big New Republic crossover, and a brand-new trilogy overseen by Simon Kinberg.
Over on Disney+, the streaming side is slowing down a bit in comparison to recent years, with Ahsoka Season 2 doing the heavy lifting.