Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter Unveils Timeline and Plot Insights

The standout announcement from Star Wars Celebration 2025 was that Deadpool & Wolverine’s Shawn Levy is directing Star Wars: Starfighter, a standalone live-action film featuring Ryan Gosling. Set to follow 2026’s The Mandalorian and Grogu, production begins this fall, targeting a May 28, 2027 release.

Details on Starfighter’s plot remain scarce. Lucasfilm disclosed one key fact: the story unfolds five years after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, placing it further along the Star Wars timeline than any prior film or series.

Little is known about this era in Star Wars lore. However, the ending of The Rise of Skywalker and elements from the pre-Disney Legends universe offer clues for speculation. Below, we explore lingering questions from The Rise of Skywalker and how Starfighter might address them.

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Star Wars: Starfighter’s Gaming Roots

The film’s title echoes a brief series of games from the PS2/Xbox era: Star Wars: Starfighter (2001) and its sequel, Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter (2002).

While sharing a name, the movie is unlikely to draw heavily from these games’ narratives. The original game occurs during Episode I, spotlighting heroic pilots around the Battle of Naboo. Jedi Starfighter, set during Episode II, follows Jedi Master Adi Gallia and pirate Nym. Given the film’s setting decades later, direct plot connections seem improbable.

That said, the movie could take inspiration from Jedi Starfighter’s ship-to-ship combat, which blended Force powers like shields and lightning into dogfights. Might Gosling’s character be a Jedi pilot wielding similar abilities? This could elevate the film’s action sequences.

The New Republic’s Future

The Rise of Skywalker concludes with the defeat of Emperor Palpatine and his Sith Eternal, yet offers little clarity on the galaxy’s state post-Battle of Exegol. The New Republic’s fate after The Force Awakens, where the First Order’s Starkiller Base obliterated Hosnian Prime and its leadership, remains murky. Most Sequel-era projects focus on the Resistance-First Order conflict, leaving the New Republic’s status ambiguous.

The New Republic might persist during Starfighter’s timeline, though likely weakened. The novel Star Wars: Bloodline depicts a fractured government split between Populists, who favor planetary autonomy, and Centrists, who push for stronger central control. This division could hinder recovery efforts.

Remnants of the First Order may also linger, much like the Empire persisted after Endor. The Rebellion fought for years to dismantle the Empire, facing threats like the Imperial Remnant and Grand Admiral Thrawn. A surviving First Order figurehead could rally forces after Kylo Ren’s demise.

Piracy, as seen in The Mandalorian and Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, thrives in the post-Empire chaos. With the New Republic struggling, lawlessness likely persists, setting the stage for epic space battles. Gosling’s character might be a New Republic pilot restoring order, a local defender, or even a reformed First Order trooper akin to Finn.

As a standalone film, Starfighter likely won’t ignite a new galaxy-wide conflict but may explore the fallout from The Rise of Skywalker, with a villain exploiting the power vacuum.

Reviving the Jedi Order

Luke Skywalker aimed to rebuild the Jedi Order in the New Republic era, training Force-sensitive students at his temple, as seen in The Book of Boba Fett. Initially successful, his efforts crumbled when Ben Solo, influenced by Snoke/Palpatine, destroyed the temple and became Kylo Ren, leaving Luke to retreat to Ahch-To.

The Jedi’s status post-The Rise of Skywalker is unclear. Some students likely survived Ben’s attack, just as some Jedi escaped Order 66. Ahsoka Tano’s fate remains uncertain, with her voice among the Force ghosts in The Rise of Skywalker, though Dave Filoni suggests she may still be alive.

Rey Skywalker is poised to rebuild the Jedi Order in the upcoming New Jedi Order film, set 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker. Starfighter, occurring a decade earlier, may not focus heavily on the Jedi unless Gosling’s character is Force-sensitive. If so, Rey could appear briefly. Otherwise, Starfighter might echo Rogue One or Solo, emphasizing ordinary heroes over Jedi.

The Sith’s Legacy

The Rise of Skywalker positions Palpatine as the Skywalker Saga’s ultimate villain, surviving his Death Star defeat to orchestrate events via Snoke. With his final demise, the Sith’s fate is uncertain. The Expanded Universe suggests new Dark Side threats, like Darth Krayt’s Sith in Star Wars: Legacy, could emerge.

Even without Sith, Dark Side practitioners—like the Nightsisters or Maul—may seize the post-Palpatine void. A hidden apprentice, surviving Knights of Ren, or a fallen Jedi could pose threats. However, if Gosling’s character isn’t a Jedi, Starfighter may sidestep these elements, leaving them for the New Jedi Order film or Simon Kinberg’s trilogy.

Will Sequel Trilogy Characters Appear?

As a standalone film set in an unexplored era, Starfighter centers on Gosling’s new character. Still, Star Wars often weaves in familiar faces. Poe Dameron, the galaxy’s top pilot post-Han Solo, is a prime candidate for a cameo, likely aiding in galactic reconstruction.

Chewbacca’s current role—whether still Rey’s copilot or pursuing new ventures—is unknown but ripe for a return. Picture Gosling’s character piloting the Millennium Falcon alongside Chewie. Finn, a folk hero to defecting Stormtroopers, could also reappear, especially if the film involves First Order remnants. Rey’s presence hinges on whether Gosling’s character is Force-sensitive.

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For more on Star Wars’ future, explore why Lucasfilm should focus on producing films rather than announcing them and review all Star Wars movies and series in development.