The next Star Wars movie, Star Wars: Starfighter, will return to one of the franchise’s most important themes from the original trilogy.
Directed by Shawn Levy, the standalone film is set to release in May 2027. It stars Ryan Gosling alongside newcomer Flynn Gray, with a supporting cast that includes Amy Adams, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, and Aaron Pierre.
In an interview, Levy confirmed that Starfighter is built around a father‑son dynamic, a theme that has shaped the Star Wars saga since the very beginning.
Family relationships, especially between fathers and sons, have been central to the franchise. The most famous example came in The Empire Strikes Back when Darth Vader reveals he is Luke Skywalker’s father, a storyline that drove Vader’s redemption in Return of the Jedi.
The theme also appeared in later trilogies. Anakin Skywalker’s absent father figure played a role in his fall to the dark side, while Han Solo’s strained relationship with Ben Solo contributed to Ben’s transformation into Kylo Ren.
Levy has explored similar themes in past films like Real Steel and The Adam Project. His involvement suggests Starfighter will focus on emotional relationships alongside sci‑fi action.
While the movie is described as a father‑son story, reports suggest Gosling plays an uncle, helping his nephew escape danger across the galaxy. The boy’s mother is said to be a Jedi played by Amy Adams, while the father’s role remains unclear.
If the child lacks a traditional father figure, the story would echo Luke Skywalker’s upbringing, where an uncle filled the parental role. This connection reinforces the film’s link to classic Star Wars storytelling.
With Starfighter, Lucasfilm appears to be leaning back into the themes that defined the original trilogy, offering a familiar emotional core within a new post‑Rise of Skywalker story.
