As more details trickle out about the growing slate of Star Wars movies in development, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Lucasfilm is steering the franchise toward fresh faces rather than relying on familiar ones.
A recent example comes from filmmaker Shawn Levy, known for Night at the Museum and Deadpool & Wolverine, who’s currently filming Star Wars: Starfighter, a film set roughly five years after The Rise of Skywalker.
Levy explained that in the early stages of shaping the project, he sat down with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and suggested that bringing in a few established characters might be the logical move.
However, Levy’s candid remarks on a recent podcast about the early development of Starfighter underline just how determined Kennedy and the rest of Lucasfilm are to steer the franchise onto a different path.
After the last trilogy’s uneven reception from fans and critics alike, the studio appears intent on redefining its future rather than circling back to familiar territory.
Levy, appearing on a podcast from The Playlist, stated that he was surprised by Kennedy's response, which was, "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.’"
"There is no mandate or interference other than the constant encouragement, ‘Make this new.’ And that’s the truth."
"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."
Levy's Starfighter script was written by Jonathan Tropper (Banshee, Warrior).
The Adam Project director also reflected on the very beginning of when he was first approached to tackle the project and the message he received.
"[Kathleen Kennedy] said, ‘I want you to do a ‘Star Wars’ movie.’ And I said, ‘Well, what’s it a prequel to? What’s it a sequel to? Which one is it?’ The answer was, ‘It’s whatever you want it to be. You pick the writer, you pick the story, just imbue it with the feeling that your movies have.'"
Star Wars: Starfighter features a cast that includes Ryan Gosling, Flynn Gray, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, and Amy Adams.
Levy directs from a script penned by Trooper. Filming commenced on August 28, 2025, and the film has a current release date of May 28, 2027.
Gosling is said to be portraying a former X-wing pilot who must protect his Force-sensitive nephew when he becomes the target of dark side users/remnants of The First Order. The film is said to be a chase/adventure-style story with Gosling racing to get his nephew to Rey's new Jedi Order Academy while being pursued by powerful forces.