Ryan Gosling’s Star Wars movie could end up being more connected to the franchise than expected. The saga is gearing up for its return to theaters this year with The Mandalorian and Grogu, the first new Star Wars movie since The Rise of Skywalker in 2019. That puts it in familiar territory, transitioning out of the Disney+ era with the same characters that helped launch it in the first place. After that, it’ll be on uncharted waters with Star Wars: Starfighter, directed by Shawn Levy.
Few plot details about the movie have been revealed, though we do know it’s set five years after The Rise of Skywalker. Lucasfilm has been keen to stress this is a completely standalone movie, with no connections or familiar faces, which would be a first for the franchise on the big screen. But will that hold true? After a new reveal that suggests Starfighter will include Jedi, it might be more connected than we’re being led to believe.
How Star Wars: Starfighter Could Set Up Rey’s New Jedi Order Movie
Image via Lucasfilm
Star Wars: Starfighter will have at least one lightsaber duel and, while that doesn’t outright confirm the presence of a Jedi, it does strongly support it. While the Star Wars TV shows and expanded media have introduced various types of Force users, the films have largely stuck to the Jedi and the Sith. Kylo Ren wielded a lightsaber and wasn’t officially a Sith, but he was a former Jedi Padawan, and there wasn’t a lot of distinction made. Some heroic characters have also briefly wielded a lightsaber without being Jedi (e.g. Finn, though he was Force sensitive), but it’s typically the rule the movies follow.
That makes it even more plausible for Starfighter to connect to Rey’s New Jedi Order movie. That film will bring back Daisy Ridley as the Jedi, and was initially described as being set 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker. With both films taking place in the post-sequels era, then a crossover was already achievable, but much more so if there’s a Jedi connection.
This also fits with rumors that the Gosling-led movie will have him taking care of a young Force sensitive boy (played by Flynn Gray). It could quite easily be that not only is a Jedi involved in the story, but that Gosling’s hero actually takes him to Rey herself at the very end of the movie, with the boy joining the ranks of her fledgling Jedi Order. This could be done with a cameo from Ridley herself if it really wants to hammer home the setup, or it could be left a little more ambiguous or vague for audiences, or simply tease the appearance of Rey without having her turn up.
Would Starfighter Setting Up Rey’s Star Wars Movie Be A Good Thing?
Image Courtesy of Shawn Levy
Although we’re coming up on three years since Rey’s movie was announced, which came back in April 2023 at Star Wars Celebration, there’s been little firm progress on the movie. It’s changed writers a few times, and there’s no sign of further casting announcements, let alone production beginning. Still, Ridley remains hopeful about her Star Wars movie, and it’s possible 2026 will be the year that it finally begins to take shape. But is connecting it to Starfighter good for either movie?
It’s easy to see why Lucasfilm might be tempted to go down that route, since, if Starfighter is well-received, it’d create some more excitement for that movie and suggest an overarching vision for the future of the saga in the post-sequel timeline. However, it would also be a major risk. There’s obviously still no guarantee Rey’s movie will even happen, although an ending with the kid being left with her would at least still complete Starfighter‘s own story.
The bigger issue is that it would remove one of the biggest selling points of Starfighter: that it is something new, unique, and standalone. Of course, if it’s a success then there’s a chance to look at sequels or greater connectivity, but as Star Wars looks to make its return to theatrical movies, the focus needs to be taking one step at a time. It has to deliver a great film that audiences turn out for, and it’s easier to do that by being contained rather than looking for bigger franchise setup. Especially after how divisive the sequels were, this movie having secret links to it could hinder more than help matters. Starfighter should go it alone, but only time will tell if it truly does.
Star Wars: Starfighter will be released in theaters on May 28th, 2027.
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