Star Wars: Starfighter Unveils Plot and Timeline Insights

The highlight of Star Wars Celebration 2025 was the announcement 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, Starfighter begins production this fall for a May 28, 2027 release.

Little is known about Starfighter’s plot, but Lucasfilm confirmed it takes place five years after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, making it the furthest point in the Star Wars timeline explored in any film or series to date.

Details about this era of Star Wars lore are scarce. However, the ending of The Rise of Skywalker and the pre-Disney Legends universe offer clues for speculation. Below, we explore key questions left by The Rise of Skywalker and how Starfighter might address them.

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The Star Wars: Starfighter Games

The title Star Wars: Starfighter echoes a pair of games from the PS2/Xbox era. Released in 2001, the original Star Wars: Starfighter centered on heroic pilots during the Battle of Naboo in Episode I. Its 2002 sequel, Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter, followed Jedi Master Adi Gallia and pirate Nym during Episode II.

While the new film shares the name, it’s unlikely to draw heavily from these games’ stories, given its setting decades later. Still, the movie could take inspiration from Jedi Starfighter’s innovative ship-to-ship combat, which blended Force powers like shields and lightning with traditional weaponry. Could Gosling’s character be a Jedi pilot? This could add a fresh twist to 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, but the galaxy’s state post-Battle of Exegol remains vague. The New Republic’s fate is uncertain after the First Order’s Starkiller Base destroyed Hosnian Prime, wiping out its leadership in The Force Awakens. Most Sequel-era projects focus on the Resistance-First Order conflict, leaving the New Republic’s status unclear.

The New Republic might still exist during Starfighter’s timeline, though likely weakened. The novel Star Wars: Bloodline highlights its pre-First Order struggles, with tensions between Populists advocating for planetary sovereignty and Centrists pushing for stronger governance. These divisions could persist as the New Republic rebuilds.

Remnants of the First Order may also linger, much like the Empire’s Imperial Remnant after the Battle of Endor. A surviving figurehead could rally these forces, setting the stage for the galactic power struggles and epic space battles Star Wars fans anticipate.

Piracy, a growing issue in The Mandalorian and Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, likely worsens after The Force Awakens. With the New Republic struggling, pirates and smugglers exploit the galaxy’s lawless fringes. Gosling’s character might be a New Republic pilot battling to restore order, a local defender of an unprotected world, or even a reformed First Order trooper like Finn. Starfighter could fill the void left by Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron movie.

As a standalone film, Starfighter likely won’t establish a new overarching conflict but may explore the fallout from The Rise of Skywalker, focusing on a villain exploiting the galaxy’s power vacuum.

Rebuilding the Jedi Order

Luke Skywalker aimed to restore the Jedi Order in the New Republic era, training a new generation at his Jedi Temple, as seen in The Book of Boba Fett. His efforts initially succeeded, but Ben Solo’s turn to the dark side, influenced by Snoke/Palpatine, led to the temple’s destruction and Luke’s exile 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 is also uncertain, though her voice among the Force ghosts in The Rise of Skywalker and Dave Filoni’s hints suggest she may still be alive.

Rey Skywalker is set to rebuild the Jedi Order in the New Jedi Order film, set 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker. Starfighter, occurring a decade earlier, may not focus on the Jedi unless Gosling’s character is Force-sensitive. If so, Rey could appear briefly to guide him. Otherwise, Starfighter might emulate Rogue One and Solo, prioritizing 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 and orchestrating Snoke’s rise. With Palpatine presumably gone, the Sith’s status is uncertain. The Expanded Universe suggests new Dark Side threats, like Darth Krayt, could emerge.

Even without Sith, Dark Side users may exploit Palpatine’s absence. Potential threats include a hidden apprentice, surviving Knights of Ren, or a fallen Jedi from Luke’s temple. However, if Gosling’s character isn’t a Jedi, Starfighter may sidestep the Sith entirely, leaving such conflicts for the New Jedi Order film or Simon Kinberg’s Star Wars trilogy.

Will Sequel Trilogy Characters Return?

As a standalone film set in an unexplored era, Starfighter introduces a new lead but may include familiar faces. Poe Dameron, the galaxy’s top pilot post-Han Solo, is a strong candidate, likely aiding the New Republic’s restoration and assisting Gosling’s character.

Chewbacca’s current role is unclear—whether he remains Rey’s copilot or has new adventures. A scenario where Gosling’s character pilots the Millennium Falcon with Chewbacca would tie Starfighter to the Skywalker Saga.

Finn, underutilized in The Rise of Skywalker, could return if Starfighter involves First Order remnants. As a folk hero to defecting Stormtroopers, Finn might guide Gosling’s character, especially if he’s a former trooper.

Rey’s appearance depends on whether Gosling’s character is Force-sensitive. Lucasfilm’s plans for Rey may exclude her from Starfighter. Which surviving character from The Rise of Skywalker would you most like to see in Star Wars: Starfighter? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts below.

For more on the Star Wars franchise’s future, explore why Lucasfilm needs to stop announcing movies and just make them, and catch up on every Star Wars movie and series in development.