There are popular film franchises and then there’s the Star Wars movies. Generations were brought up on the galaxy far far away, which continues to expand thanks to projects streaming on Disney+ subscription. There are some exciting upcoming Star Wars movies coming down the line, chief of them being Shawn Levy’s Starfighter. The filmmaker recently shared the advice he’s gotten from the studio, and I have to agree.
Star Wars: Starfighter started filming back in August, and fans are curious about what the Deadpool & Wolverine director will bring to the beloved property. While appearing on The Business podcast, Levy spoke about the note that he got from the powers that be at Disney and Lucasfilm. In his words:
There is no mandate or interference other than the constant encouragement, ‘Make this new.’ And that’s the truth. 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.’
Honestly, this is a thrilling update about Starfighter. Because rather than trying to shoehorn connections to the Skywalker Saga or other setting up the developing new Star Wars trilogy, he’s being asked to bring something totally new to the franchise. And in my opinion that’s exactly what the future of George Lucas’ galaxy needs.
Standalone movies were a new experiment for Star Wars when Rogue One and Solo hit theaters. Unfortunately the franchise stopped producing these after the latter failed to perform at the box office. But Starfighter will bring back this concept, and Levy is being actively encouraged to try new things with the long-running franchise.
Star Wars has been noticeably missing from theaters since The Rise of Skywalker‘s ending, with the franchise instead growing with live-action shows on Disney+. But that’ll change shortly, as both The Mandalorian and Grogu and Starfighter are on the way, and are bringing stories that aren’t connected to a larger trilogy.
Not much is known about what Shawn Levy has up his sleeve for his debut Star Wars movie, but the stellar cast is helping to buoy excitement. Ryan Gosling leads the ensemble, which also includes familiar faces like Amy Adams, Mia Goth, and Matt Smith. Exactly what they’ll be doing in the project remains to be seen, but this mysterious title has a lot going for it.
Shawn Levy has plenty of genre work under his belt, including his time directing Stranger Things and the record-breaking success of Deadpool & Wolverine. There’s plenty of good will among fans, who are curious about his spin on Star Wars.
All will be revealed when Star Wars: Starfighter hits theaters on May 28th, 2027. But first up is The Mandalorian and Grogu, which will arrive on May 22nd as part of the 2026 movie release list.