Ryan Gosling Leads ‘Star Wars: Starfighter,’ the Next Big-Screen Chapter in the Galaxy — Mikey Madison Passes on Lead Role

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Apr 20

Ryan Gosling speaks onstage during Amazon MGM Studios CinemaCon presentation inside the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on April 2, 2205. (PHOTO BY JEROD HARRIS/GETTY IMAGES FOR CINEMACON)

The Force is officially returning to theaters. After years of rumors, development shifts, and anxious waiting from fans, Lucasfilm has unveiled details about its next big-screen adventure: Star Wars: Starfighter, starring Ryan Gosling and directed by Shawn Levy.

The announcement came during Star Wars Celebration Japan this weekend, where Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy took the stage to reveal the project, describing it as “an entirely new adventure featuring all-new characters set in a period of time that has not been explored on screen yet.”

Starfighter will land in theaters on May 28, 2027, with production expected to kick off this fall.

A New Era for Star Wars Storytelling

Set five years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker, Starfighter marks a bold shift for the franchise. Rather than continuing existing narratives around the Skywalker lineage or revisiting familiar faces, the film promises to expand the Star Wars mythos into unexplored territory — a fresh timeline with a brand-new set of characters and lore.

Ryan Gosling will headline the film, bringing serious star power to a franchise eager for theatrical rejuvenation. Though plot details are being kept under tight wraps, Lucasfilm insiders emphasize that Starfighter will feature a tone blending high-octane space action with emotionally grounded character work, reflecting the storytelling strengths of Levy’s past projects like The Adam Project and Deadpool & Wolverine.

Jonathan Tropper, a longtime collaborator with Levy, penned the script. The two previously teamed up on This Is Where I Leave You and the Netflix hit Kodachrome.

Mikey Madison Turns Down the Galaxy

Mikey Madison reportedly turned down the offer to join Ryan Gosling in the flick. **Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP**

In a surprising development, sources confirmed that Mikey Madison, fresh off her Best Actress Oscar win for Anora, was approached for a leading role in Starfighter — but ultimately passed on the opportunity.

Madison, whose fierce performances in Scream (2022) and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood catapulted her to stardom, has become one of Hollywood’s most in-demand talents. Anora director Sean Baker previously noted that Madison’s dynamic range caught his eye during a viewing of Scream, leading him to cast her without auditions.

Her decision not to join Starfighter remains private, but industry speculation points to scheduling conflicts or a desire to pursue more grounded, indie-driven projects following her Oscar victory.

Star Wars at a Crossroads

Star Wars: Starfighter arrives at a pivotal time for Lucasfilm. Since The Rise of Skywalker closed out the Skywalker Saga in 2019, several theatrical projects have been announced and subsequently shelved or delayed, including films attached to directors like Patty Jenkins, Rian Johnson, and Kevin Feige.

However, Kennedy reiterated during Celebration Japan that Starfighter is just the beginning of a “new era of storytelling” for Star Wars films. Other projects still in active development include:

A Mandalorian spinoff film (The Mandalorian & Grogu) directed by Jon Favreau — releasing May 22, 2026
A film by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, reportedly set in the post-Skywalker era
A mythic, Force origin story from James Mangold
A standalone project from Taika Waititi
A new trilogy helmed by Simon Kinberg

Fans at the Japan event were treated to early concept art from Starfighter, hinting at sleek new starfighters, untouched planetary environments, and a gritty, kinetic style of aerial combat — evoking classic dogfights from A New Hope but with a modern intensity.

The Future of Star Wars on the Big Screen

'The Mandalorian & Grogu' concept art Lucasfilm

With The Mandalorian & Grogu slated for 2026 and Starfighter in 2027, Lucasfilm is banking on a steady return to theaters. While the franchise has flourished on Disney+ with series like Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and The Mandalorian, Starfighter signals Lucasfilm’s renewed commitment to cinematic spectacle, aiming to reignite the big-screen magic that first defined the saga.

Fans and insiders alike are eagerly watching how Levy and Gosling will shape this new corner of the galaxy — and whether Starfighter can usher in a new golden age for Star Wars movies.