The Fan-Favorite Star Wars Classic That Inspired Ryan Gosling’s Starfighter
Shawn Levy’s Ryan Gosling-led Star Wars: Starfighter aims to launch new heroes and a fresh tone, even as it takes flight on the blueprint of a beloved original trilogy classic.
Shawn Levy is making a Star Wars movie and, curveball, he says the vibe he’s chasing isn’t Empire or even A New Hope. It’s Return of the Jedi. If that surprises you, same here — but his reasoning actually tracks.
Levy’s north star: Return of the Jedi
On Kevin McCarthy’s podcast, On Film... With Kevin McCarthy, the Deadpool & Wolverine director said his upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter is shaped most by Episode VI. Not because it’s the cool cinephile pick, but because of the tone he wants: a mix of playfulness, sincerity, adventure, and big showstopper spectacle. That balance is what he says Starfighter is aiming for.
"It’s kinda Jedi."
Levy also has a personal attachment to that movie. He saw Return of the Jedi in theaters more than A New Hope and Empire, and he says that kid who kept buying tickets is still very much present when he’s on set. You can hear the nostalgic filmmaker fuel in there without him pretending he’s remaking the originals.
What Starfighter is actually doing
Starfighter is set five years after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (the 2019 film), and Levy keeps stressing this is a fresh corner of the galaxy with new characters. So yes, it’s inspired by the original trilogy’s lighter, big-hearted capper, but it isn’t a cover song.
Cast and release details
- Lead: Ryan Gosling
- Also starring: Flynn Gray, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, Amy Adams
Star Wars: Starfighter is currently on track to hit theaters on May 28, 2027.