The first footage from Star Wars: Starfighter was shown at D23 in 2026
Following the success of The Mandalorian and the film Grogu this summer, Lucasfilm and Disney were thrilled to reveal exclusive first footage of their next cinematic adventure set in a galaxy far, far away at this year's D23: The Ultimate Fan Expo.
During the Disney Entertainment Showcase at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, director Shawn Levy and star Ryan Gosling took the stage to talk about Star Wars: Starfighter, the upcoming Star Wars film opening May 28, 2027.
During the presentation, a new logo for the game Star Wars: Starfighter was shown, which can be seen below...
Levi revealed that Ryan Gosling's character's name is Cade Oberron. “Cade is a guy from the other side of the galaxy whose destiny is intertwined with the fastest starfighter ever created,” described Levy.
Ryan Gosling was welcomed on stage with a montage of footage from his time on the Disney Channel show The New Mickey Mouse Clubhouse from the mid-1990s. He came out wearing a Mickey Mouse jacket, although Levy soon gave Gosling a new one. The back of the jacket features a symbol that Levy described as Cade's symbol, and at first glance it looks similar to the iconic Punisher symbol. But if you look closely, Cade's symbol is an inverted Rebel Alliance symbol.
“I owe a lot to Disney,” Gosling said. “If they hadn’t paid close attention to me and come to my hometown, I wouldn’t be here today.”And here I am, 30 years later... I'm back and it's changing my life again."
Levy and Gosling then debuted a short trailer for Star Wars: Starfighter, giving lucky fans visiting the Honda Center an exclusive opportunity to see the next adventure in a galaxy far, far away for the first time in theaters.
“I’m honored to release this film on the same weekend as the original film premiered 50 years ago,” Levy said.
Discussing the film's themes, Levy noted: "Starfighterembodies the themes of hope, family and adventure that have always been at the heart of Star Wars, but our story is set in an entirely new time period, and we were honored to create and explore it."
Levi spoke in detail about the essence and spirit of the film.“ThisStar Warsstory is firmly rooted in the characters brought to life by these incredible actors,” said Levy, “all within an adventure filled with the humor, danger, spectacle and joyful spirit that has been the heart of this 50-year legacy we all love.”
The official description of the film's plot was published on the website StarWars.com...
In Starfighter, when a cynical adventurer confronts his mysterious past, he finds himself embroiled in a perilous adventure across the galaxy that puts him on the brink of a collision course with fate.
Read on for a detailed description of the footage shown from the film Star Wars: Starfighter...
The video begins with young actor Flynn Gray standing in front of the camera in what appears to be the interior of a small equipment bay. He approaches the small fighter, holding out his hand, and just as he is about to touch it, a voice warns him, "Didn't I tell you not to touch anything?" - asks the voice.
Cade Oberron, played by Ryan Gosling, appears in the background. After telling the teenager off, Cade tells him about the star fighter that impressed him so much. Cade notes that this is a modernized Imperial starship, the fastest in the galaxy. “It’s a retired G17,” notes Cade. "The fastest starfighter ever built." His voice is very reminiscent of Han Solo's when he first described the Millennium Falcon to Luke Skywalker and Ben Kenobi in A New Hope.
Then the video sequence quickly changes frames. A speeder bike can be seen driving on land. Gosling's character prepares to land the ship.A new water planet is shown, with huge columns of water rising from the ocean into the clouds.
Star Wars: Starfighter is set approximately five years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker and will therefore be the most advanced story in the Star Wars canon to date. Gosling and Gray are joined by a star-studded cast that includes Amy Adams, Aaron Pierre, Mia Goth and Matt Smith.