Why Lanterns Star Aaron Pierre Said Yes to Star Wars: Starfighter — And What Comes Next

Lanterns star Aaron Pierre is blasting off to Shawn Levy’s Star Wars film Starfighter, calling it a bucket-list leap after falling for the saga with The Phantom Menace—even as his role stays tightly under wraps.

Lanterns actor Aaron Pierre just confirmed he is in Shawn Levy's Star Wars: Starfighter, and he sounds genuinely thrilled about it. No character details yet, but he talked about joining the film in a new chat with Esquire and made it clear he knows how big this swing is.

"Dude, I'm ecstatic. I'm over the moon. There are really no words to articulate how thrilled, energized, grateful I am."

The vibe

This is the usual pre-release excitement, sure, but Pierre comes off sincerely grateful. He said he plans to show up and empty the tank every day on set, and he kept coming back to how much it means to be part of a franchise with this kind of history.

Levy and the team

Pierre had nothing but praise for Shawn Levy, calling him passionate and deeply invested. According to Pierre, that goes for the entire crew: everyone is pushing to deliver the best possible version of this movie for longtime fans and newcomers. He also said they all understand the magnitude of what they are making, which is exactly the kind of thing you want to hear if you care about Star Wars not getting phoned in.

First Star Wars memory

He also shared his gateway moment: seeing The Phantom Menace with his uncle when he was five. In his words, it hit like a full-blown spectacle — huge, cinematic, exciting, and unexpectedly emotional for a kid. Not a bad origin story for someone now stepping into the galaxy far, far away.

Status check

As of now, Pierre's role is under wraps. Production on Star Wars: Starfighter is already underway in the UK and is expected to keep rolling through the end of the year.

• Aaron Pierre is part of Shawn Levy's Star Wars: Starfighter; his character is still secret.
• He praised Levy and the crew for being all-in on making this the best version of the film for fans and first-timers.
• His Star Wars origin story: watching The Phantom Menace with his uncle at age five.
• Production is actively filming in the United Kingdom and slated to continue through year-end.
• Outside of Star Wars, Pierre is also in DC Studios' Lanterns series.