MOVIE NEWS – Lucasfilm unveiled the first substantial footage from Star Wars: Starfighter at D23 2026, introducing Ryan Gosling as Kade Auberon as he embarks on an entirely new Star Wars adventure. Shawn Levy’s movie will feature new characters, a story set during a period previously unexplored on the big screen, and plenty of starfighter action when it continues the theatrical journey of the galaxy far, far away in 2027.

Following Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, Disney and Lucasfilm will continue the story of the galaxy far, far away with their next major theatrical movie, Star Wars: Starfighter. Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy is helming the film from a screenplay by Jonathan Tropper, creator of Your Friends & Neighbors, giving Levy his first opportunity to work within the Star Wars universe. Ryan Gosling leads the movie alongside young actor Flynn Gray, who will also have a major role in the story.

Principal photography on Star Wars: Starfighter took place between August and December 2025, giving the filmmakers almost a year and a half to complete post-production before its theatrical release. Disney and Lucasfilm had previously revealed only a few small glimpses of the project, including on-set photographs of Gosling and Gray in costume. As the release moves closer, however, interest in exactly what direction Levy intends to take the franchise has naturally continued to grow.

Ryan Gosling’s Kade Auberon Races Across the Galaxy

Disney and Lucasfilm presented the first extended footage from Star Wars: Starfighter at D23 2026 in Anaheim, California. Gosling plays Kade Auberon, a pilot who embarks on an adventure with the young character portrayed by Flynn Gray. During their conversation, they discuss a vehicle Kade describes as the “fastest starfighter ever built,” before the footage gradually shifts its attention toward the movie’s action.

The pair travels across multiple planets and radically different environments. Swamps, bounty hunters, droids, and numerous classic pieces of Star Wars imagery appear throughout the footage, while the presentation makes it abundantly clear that Kade Auberon has a serious love of speed. By the end of the footage, Gosling’s character gets the opportunity to demonstrate exactly what his ship can do.

The footage shown at D23 was not initially released publicly in its entirety, but the presentation still represented another important step in Disney and Lucasfilm’s campaign for Star Wars: Starfighter. Moving away from the Skywalker Saga, the movie is built around an entirely new collection of characters, with Amy Adams, Aaron Pierre, Mia Goth, and Matt Smith joining Gosling and Gray in the cast.

With post-production still underway, Lucasfilm may continue to wait before launching the movie’s first major public marketing campaign. One obvious possibility would be attaching another trailer to one of Disney’s biggest theatrical releases at the end of 2026, with December’s Avengers: Doomsday potentially providing a logical opportunity. Either way, the D23 presentation has already begun building anticipation for the next major theatrical chapter of Star Wars, particularly after a period in which the franchise has appeared on the big screen far less frequently.

Star Wars: Starfighter is scheduled to open in U.S. theaters on May 28, 2027.

Source: MovieWeb