Ryan Gosling is officially headed to a galaxy far, far away.
At Star Wars Celebration 2025 in Chiba, Japan, Lucasfilm revealed that Gosling will headline a new standalone film titled “Star Wars: Starfighter.” The announcement, made during the first day of the three-day fan event at Makuhari Messe convention center, sent shockwaves through the fandom—especially when Gosling himself walked out on stage.
Director Shawn Levy, known for his work on “Deadpool & Wolverine,” confirmed long-circulating rumors in front of a packed crowd.
“One of those rumors I heard that I do need to dispel, is, I had heard at one point that my movie was going to star Ryan Gosling and believe me, that would be a dream come true for me,” Levy said. “So today, I just wanted to tell you here in this room that that rumor is 100% true.”
Gosling joined Levy onstage to a roaring welcome. Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy added a personal touch to the reveal by showing fans a photo of Gosling’s childhood Star Wars bedsheets—something his mother had saved since he was five.
“Naturally, she thought that it might be something that the fans would appreciate,” Gosling joked. “But I suspect that she just sort of wants to justify years of hoarding.”
Reflecting on his lifelong love of the franchise, Gosling shared how meaningful the role is to him.
Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images
“I guess I was probably dreaming about Star Wars before I even saw the film,” he said. “It’s probably framed my idea of what a movie even was. But all of that aside, I think the reality is that this script is just so good. It has such a great story with great and original characters. It’s filled with so much heart and adventure. And there just really is not a more perfect filmmaker for this particular story than Shawn.”
“Star Wars: Starfighter” will begin filming this fall. Set five years after the events of “Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker,” the movie will introduce entirely new characters and explore uncharted territory in the Star Wars timeline.
“This movie is a standalone,” Levy emphasized. “It’s not a prequel. It’s not a sequel. It’s a new adventure—and it’s set in a period of time we haven’t seen explored on screen yet.”
With Gosling in the pilot seat and Levy at the helm, “Starfighter” promises a bold new chapter in the ever-expanding Star Wars universe.
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