No Legacy Characters, All-New Thrills: Star Wars: Starfighter Is the Franchise's Boldest Leap in Years
Sticker shock and fine print aside, the payoff is clear: lightsabers are included.
Lucasfilm finally said the quiet part out loud about Star Wars: Starfighter: this one is not going to lean on familiar faces. It is a fresh-cast, new-corners-of-the-galaxy play — with a couple of very Star Wars-y flourishes still in the mix. Also, yes, there is a wild Tom Cruise-on-set anecdote.
No legacy characters, on purpose
"Essentially, I think it's known that we have no legacy characters. You're not going to see any of the characters you've seen in the other movies."
That is writer Jonathan Tropper, spelling it out to Screen Rant. If you were hoping for a surprise Luke, Leia, or Ahsoka drop-in, this is not that movie.
That stance is a pivot from recent Star Wars projects that often played the hits. The Mandalorian rolled out a de-aged Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano back-to-back. Ahsoka then brought in Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker, and Christensen also suited up again for the Obi-Wan Kenobi miniseries on Disney Plus. Even the widely praised Andor threaded in bits of nostalgia thanks to its ties with Rogue One. Starfighter is deliberately steering clear of all that.
Still Star Wars where it counts
Director Shawn Levy let slip a couple of fun details while talking about an action scene: Tom Cruise popped by set and actually operated a camera for a beat, and in the process Levy confirmed the movie does have lightsabers. So, new characters, yes — but not a total departure from the franchise’s visual language.
"There are certain things that are still hallmarks of Star Wars that it's good to have in there. But more than that, I can't say."
That is Tropper again, basically saying: expect the vibe, not the cameos.
Where this lands and who is in it
Star Wars: Starfighter is set after The Rise of Skywalker, so it lives beyond the sequel trilogy on the timeline. Levy is directing, Tropper wrote it, and Ryan Gosling leads the cast alongside a mix of new and familiar names.
- Ryan Gosling
- Flynn Gray (a newcomer)
- Matt Smith (House of the Dragon)
- Mia Goth (Pearl)
- Aaron Pierre (the new DCU)
- Amy Adams (Arrival)
Release date is locked for May 28, 2027. No nostalgia safety net, lightsabers on deck, and Tom Cruise briefly behind the camera — honestly, that is a pretty intriguing swing.