Star Wars: Starfighter Breaks New Ground with No Legacy Characters Confirmed

Star Wars: Starfighter is carving its own path by confirming that it will not feature any legacy characters in the upcoming film led by Ryan Gosling.

Writer Jonathan Tropper shared, “It’s pretty clear that we have no legacy characters. You won’t see any familiar faces from the previous films.”

However, that doesn’t mean the film will completely shy away from classic Star Wars elements. Director Shawn Levy mentioned that Tom Cruise made a cameo on set, handling a camera during an action scene, and hinted that lightsabers will still make an appearance.

“There are certain iconic elements of Star Wars that are essential to include. Beyond that, I can’t reveal much,” Tropper added.

While some fans have mixed feelings about recent Star Wars projects leaning heavily on crossovers and legacy characters, Starfighter aims to break that mold. The Mandalorian featured a de-aged Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano, while Ahsoka’s standalone series brought back Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker. Christensen also reprised his role in the Obi-Wan Kenobi miniseries, and even Andor included nods to Rogue One.

Set after the events of Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars: Starfighter stars Ryan Gosling alongside newcomer Flynn Gray and a talented cast that includes Matt Smith from House of the Dragon, Mia Goth from Pearl, Aaron Pierre, and Amy Adams from Arrival. The film is scheduled for release on May 28, 2027.