Star Wars: Starfighter - What We Know About the Movie's Plot and Timeline

Easily the biggest quality to travel retired of Star Wars Celebration 2025 was the uncover that Deadpool & Wolverine’s Shawn Levy is directing Star Wars: Starfighter, a caller standalone, live-action movie starring Ryan Gosling. Starfighter is shaping up to beryllium the adjacent Star Wars movie released aft 2026’s The Mandalorian and Grogu, with accumulation starting this autumn for a May 28, 2027 release.

But beyond those basics, we cognize precise small astir the crippled of Starfighter close now. Lucasfilm lone revealed 1 important item - the movie is acceptable astir 5 years aft the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. That places Starfighter further down the Star Wars timeline than immoderate Star Wars movie oregon bid to date.

What bash we cognize astir this play of Star Wars lore? Not a full lot, frankly. That said, we tin surely speculate based connected however The Rise of Skywalker ends and however the pre-Disney Legends beingness handled this era. Let’s instrumentality a person look astatine the large questions that linger aft The Rise of Skywalker and however Starfighter whitethorn code them.

The Star Wars: Starfighter Games

First, we’d beryllium remiss if we didn’t interaction connected the information that Star Wars: Starfighter shares its sanction with a short-lived bid of games from the PS2/Xbox era. The archetypal Star Wars: Starfighter was released successful 2001, followed by the sequel Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter successful 2002.

The caller movie mightiness stock a sanction with these 2 games, but we wouldn’t expect it to get much, if astatine all, from the games successful presumption of plot. The archetypal Starfighter crippled is acceptable during Episode I, showcasing immoderate of the different heroic pilots earlier and during the Battle of Naboo. Jedi Starfighter, meanwhile, takes spot during Episode II, focusing connected Jedi Master Adi Gallia and Nym, a pirate quality introduced successful the archetypal game. The caller movie is acceptable galore decades aft the 2 games, making it precise improbable it’ll accommodate crippled points from either one.

That being said, it’s ever imaginable that the Starfighter movie could instrumentality a leafage from Jedi Starfighter successful presumption of its ship-to-ship combat. Jedi Starfighter was notable for introducing Force powers into the mix, allowing Adi to supplement her ship’s accepted weapons with abilities similar a Force shield, lightning, and a shockwave. Could the movie bash thing similar? Is Gosling’s quality a Jedi and a hotshot pilot? It’s surely possible, and it would beryllium 1 mode of spicing up the combat scenes successful the movie.

The Fate of the New Republic

The Rise of Skywalker whitethorn extremity with a last triumph implicit Emperor Palpatine and his Sith Eternal, but the movie doesn’t truly springiness america overmuch penetration into the authorities of the postulation aft the Battle of Exegol. The destiny of the New Republic aft the events of Star Wars: The Force Awakens remains unclear. In the archetypal section of the Sequel Trilogy, we spot the First Order unleash its Starkiller Base superweapon, destroying Hosnian Prime and sidesplitting disconnected the heads of the New Republic successful 1 fell swoop. Most of the Sequel-era Star Wars projects person focused specifically connected the struggle betwixt Leia’s Resistance and the First Order, meaning we don’t person overmuch penetration into what became of the New Republic aft its enactment was lost.

It’s imaginable that the New Republic inactive exists successful the clip of Star Wars: Starfighter, but we’d ideate it’s been greatly weakened. As it is, the Republic was already struggling anterior to the emergence of the First Order. As seen successful the caller Star Wars: Bloodline, the New Republic authorities is yet racked by struggle betwixt Populists (who judge idiosyncratic subordinate planets should stay sovereign) and Centrists (who favour a stronger authorities and a larger military). That struggle whitethorn good transportation implicit arsenic the New Republic struggles to regroup and rebuild.

It besides remains to beryllium seen if immoderate remnants of the First Order inactive persist 5 years aft Palpatine’s defeat. Certainly, it’s not arsenic if the Empire was wiped distant aft the Battle of Endor. It took years of warring until the Rebellion yet conquered the Empire, and adjacent then, they had the Imperial Remnant and Grand Admiral Thrawn to interest about. We whitethorn find that immoderate traces of the First Order stay and person rallied astir a surviving figurehead pursuing Supreme Leader Kylo Ren’s death.

And that’s not adjacent getting into the galaxy’s pirate problem. As seen successful The Mandalorian and Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, piracy is simply a existent menace successful the chaotic years aft the Empire’s fall. As the New Republic struggles to found a foothold, galore pirates and smugglers instrumentality vantage of the lawlessness connected the fringes of the galaxy. We person to presume that this occupation has lone grown successful scope aft The Force Awakens.

All of this is to accidental that there’s apt to beryllium a powerfulness conflict successful the postulation during the epoch of Star Wars: Starfighter, leaving ample country for the benignant of epic abstraction battles fans person travel to expect. Gosling could beryllium playing a New Republic aviator warring to reconstruct instrumentality and bid to a chaotic galaxy. In that sense, Starfighter could perchance beryllium a replacement for Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron movie. Gosling’s quality could besides beryllium a homegrown defender of a satellite trying to support itself without the Republic’s protection. For each we know, helium could beryllium an ex-First Order trooper similar John Boyega’s Finn.

Given that Starfighter is being billed arsenic a standalone movie, we don’t needfully spot it being the 1 to found the adjacent overarching Rebels vs. Empire oregon Resistance vs. First Order-style struggle for the franchise. More likely, it’ll research the lingering fallout of the struggle successful The Rise of Skywalker, centering astir a villain taking vantage of the existent powerfulness vacuum successful the galaxy.

Rebuilding the Jedi Order

Luke Skywalker began the New Republic epoch with precocious hopes, seeking to rebuild the Jedi Order that Palpatine destroyed and mentor a caller procreation of Force-sensitive pupils. For a while, his plans worked. We spot Luke gathering his caller Jedi Temple successful The Book of Boba Fett, and we cognize from assorted books and comics that Luke established a decent-sized schoolhouse implicit the years.

Unfortunately, it each went to hellhole erstwhile the Skywalker household curse struck. Corrupted by Supreme Leader Snoke/Palpatine and spurred connected by Uncle Luke himself, Ben Solo lashed retired and destroyed Luke’s temple, sidesplitting galore students successful the process. He past joined up with the Knights of Ren and became Kylo Ren, main enforcer of Snoke’s First Order. His Jedi Order successful shambles, Luke retreated to Ahch-To to unrecorded retired the past of his days arsenic a cranky, milk-guzzling hermit.

So what’s go of the Jedi? Many died successful Ben’s onslaught connected the Temple, but we can’t ideate each of them were killed, immoderate much than Order 66 successfully purged each past Clone Wars-era Jedi. There’s inactive the question of what’s up with Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka Tano and if she’s live and progressive during the Sequel era. Don't forget, her dependable is heard among the Force ghosts astatine the extremity of The Rise of Skywalker, but Dave Filoni has besides hinted that Ahsoka isn’t dead.

We cognize that Daisy Ridley’s Rey Skywalker is mounting retired to rebuild the Jedi Order (again) and transportation connected Luke’s legacy. That’s going to beryllium the absorption of the New Jedi Order movie directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. However, that movie is acceptable 15 years aft The Rise of Skywalker, putting it a afloat decennary aft the events of Starfighter.

It remains to beryllium seen whether Starfighter volition code the existent authorities of the Jedi astatine all. It whitethorn beryllium mostly connected whether Gosling’s quality is Force-sensitive oregon not. If helium is, we could spot Ridley playing a tiny relation successful the movie arsenic Rey reaches retired to this promising pilot. But if not, it whitethorn beryllium that Starfighter is similar Rogue One and Solo: A Star Wars Story - the uncommon Star Wars movie that mostly ignores the Jedi successful favour of mean heroes.

Are the Sith Still Around?

Just arsenic we’re waiting to spot what the authorities of the Jedi Order is post-The Rise of Skywalker, there’s besides the question of whether determination are immoderate Sith characters inactive progressive successful the galaxy. That movie cemented Ian McDiarmid’s Palpatine arsenic the cardinal villain of the full Skywalker Saga, revealing helium cheated his evident decease aboard the Death Star and was the concealed manus pulling Supreme Leader Snoke’s strings. But with Palpatine dormant and gone for existent present (presumably), is determination thing near of the Sith? Or did this past bid yet dice retired on with him?

If the classical Expanded Universe is immoderate indication, Palpatine won’t beryllium the past Sith Lord. The assorted Star Wars Legends novels chronicled galore conflicts successful the years and decades aft Return of the Jedi. Meanwhile, Dark Horse’s Star Wars: Legacy comic dealt with the emergence of Darth Krayt and his service of Sith loyalists much than a 100 years aft the events of the movies. There are ever those bare for powerfulness and acceptable to beryllium seduced by the Dark Side.

This is decidedly not the past clip the postulation volition beryllium threatened by a villain skilled successful the ways of the Dark Side, whether oregon not they specifically telephone themselves Sith. As overmuch arsenic the Prequel movies hammer location the thought that the Sith travel the Rule of Two, the Clone Wars animated bid showed america that Palpatine had aggregate Dark Side rivals, including the Nightsisters of Dathomir and his erstwhile apprentice, Maul. It stands to crushed that determination are different players retired determination who mightiness spot an accidental present that Palpatine is gone. Maybe helium had different apprentice. Maybe determination are surviving members of the Knights of Ren. Maybe different of Luke’s pupils has turned to the Dark Side.

Again, though, the existent question is whether Star Wars: Starfighter is going to dive into immoderate of this. If Gosling isn’t playing a Jedi character, determination whitethorn beryllium nary crushed to interaction connected the existent authorities of the Sith successful Starfighter. We whitethorn person to hold for the New Jedi Order movie oregon Simon Kinberg’s Star Wars trilogy instead.

Could Poe Dameron oregon Other Sequel Trilogy Characters Return?

Star Wars: Starfighter features a marque caller pb quality and is acceptable successful a play we haven’t seen successful the movies oregon shows yet. It’s besides a standalone movie, meaning we shouldn’t needfully expect tons of acquainted faces to amusement up and combat alongside oregon against Gosling’s character. Still, this is Star Wars. The movies seldom discarded an accidental to propulsion successful cameos and callbacks. If we got a Darth Maul cameo of each things successful Solo: A Star Wars Story, past surely idiosyncratic from the Sequels is bound to amusement up successful Starfighter, right?

Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron seems similar the astir apt candidate. He’s astir apt the champion aviator successful the postulation present that Han Solo is dead, and he’s a decorated leader who survived galore run-ins with the First Order. We person to presume Poe has immoderate portion to play successful rebuilding the postulation and restoring the New Republic, meaning he’s successful a large presumption to lend a helping manus successful immoderate predicament Gosling’s quality finds himself.

We could besides spot everyone’s favourite Wookiee making a instrumentality appearance. What is Chewbacca up to these days? Is helium inactive Rey’s copilot, oregon person they parted ways present that she’s focused connected rebuilding the Jedi? What if Gosling’s character, done a twist of fate, finds himself piloting the Millennium Falcon alongside Chewbacca? It would surely beryllium comforting to person that tether to the Skywalker Saga movies.

There’s besides country for Boyega to instrumentality arsenic Finn, particularly if the movie specifically deals with a struggle involving remnants of the First Order. Finn was frustratingly underutilized successful The Rise of Skywalker, but that movie did hint that he’s go a spot of a people leader to those Stormtroopers deserting their posts and rebelling against the First Order. Has Finn continued to question retired like-minded soldiers and assistance them flooded their conditioning similar helium did? What if Gosling’s quality is 1 of those troopers?

And past there’s Rey. As we’ve already discussed, whether oregon not she appears successful Starfighter whitethorn mostly beryllium connected whether Gosling’s quality is revealed to beryllium a Jedi oregon not. Lucasfilm intelligibly has plans for Rey going forward, but Starfighter whitethorn not beryllium portion of those plans.

Which surviving quality from The Rise of Skywalker would you astir similar to spot successful Star Wars: Starfighter? Cast your ballot successful our canvass and fto america cognize successful the comments below.

For much connected the aboriginal of the Star Wars franchise, find retired wherefore Lucasfilm needs to halt announcing movies and conscionable marque them, and brushwood up connected each Star Wars movie and bid successful development.

Jesse is simply a mild-mannered unit writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intelligence thicket by following @jschedeen connected BlueSky.