While Starfighter is celebrating the franchise's storied history, it's also breaking away from it in a very overt way. Starfighter is switching casts, as it doesn't follow Rey, Finn, or Poe from the sequel trilogy despite taking place after The Rise of Skywalker in the Star Wars timeline, but that's nothing new. Star Wars movies switch casts with each new trilogy or spinoff film as time passes and the franchise chooses to focus on new characters.
Starfighter's all-new characters are a change for the franchise, which has historically been concerned with legacy characters in the Skywalker Saga, but that's not all that's changing. Starfighter also features an all-new kind of cast for Star Wars, and it has assembled its actors with a very different intent in mind. Because of that, the next upcoming Star Wars movie is breaking from 49 years of tradition.
Star Wars Movies Always Cast Up-And-Coming Actors In The Lead Role
From its very beginning in 1977, Star Wars movies have always cast young, up-and-coming actors as its lead characters instead of established stars. Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford were almost completely unknown in 1977. Likewise, in the prequel and sequel trilogies, Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, and Ewan McGregor, as well as Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Adam Driver were relatively unknown and exceptionally young.
Star Wars has always had true celebrities in its cast, like Sir Alec Guiness, Liam Neeson, Samuel L. Jackson, and more, but they were always playing supporting characters. Some of the younger actors had also started to make a name for themselves before joining Star Wars. Harrison Ford had already done American Graffiti, Ewan McGregor starred in Trainspotting, and Adam Driver was in Girls, but they were far from the household names they became after their time in the galaxy far, far away.
Even the spinoff movies Rogue One and Solo starred people like Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, and Alden Ehrenreich, all of whom were up-and-coming actors at the time. The only exception to this rule so far has been The Mandalorian and Grogu, with its cast consisting of Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, and Jeremy Allen White. Even that exception comes with a caveat, however, since Pascal was still relatively unknown in 2019 when The Mandalorian began, and they couldn't exactly recast him for the film.
For 49 years now, Star Wars has made a point of casting relatively unknown or niche actors and turning them into global superstars. None of the franchise's films have ever set out to capitalize or rely on existing stardom. Some Star Wars shows have recently taken that approach, like Andor with Stellan Skarsgård, Ahsoka with Rosario Dawson, and Skeleton Crew with Jude Law, but the movies have always given fledgling actors a shot at fame.
Star Wars: Starfighter Features A Star-Studded Cast Of Established Actors
Now, after 49 years of casting young and unknown actors, Star Wars: Starfighter is about to go against that casting rule. The cast of Starfighter is already jam-packed with established and world-famous actors. Most notably, Ryan Gosling is taking the lead role, and there's no denying that he's a star thanks to movies like Project Hail Mary and Blade Runner 2049. He's also joined by other celebrities like Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Matt Smith, and Amy Adams, among many others.
The only actor so far confirmed to be part of Starfighter that isn't an established movie or television star is Flynn Gray, a child actor. Starfighter is still shrouded in mystery and there's sure to be more casting announcements in the future, but as of right now, it seems to be taking the exact opposite approach of every other Star Wars movie since 1977. Starfighter is capitalizing on existing movie stars instead of making new ones.
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After George Lucas changed cinematic history decades ago, Star Wars' next theatrical release will be a special moment for the galaxy's biggest fans.
There are quite a few reasons why Disney and Lucasfilm may be deciding to lean on stars like Ryan Gosling for the first time in 50 years. They may no longer be confident that Star Wars is a strong enough IP to draw in crowds without a celebrity name attached after The Rise of Skywalker and The Mandalorian and Grogu's underwhelming performances. Starfighter director Shawn Levy may have also insisted that his film have a recognizable cast, or there could be a less easy to discern reason for the shift.
Gosling's casting may also signal the end of Star Wars' ability to take unknown actors and make them stars. There's no denying that this franchise doesn't have as much momentum as it did just a decade ago, when The Force Awakens came out. The fanbase is divided, The Mandalorian and Grogu underperformed, and Star Wars may not be the blockbuster juggernaut it once was anymore.
Starfighter, for better or worse, is an important moment for Star Wars. If it's a hit, future Star Wars movies may follow the trend of casting existing stars. If it's a flop, the franchise may go back to its roots and put story and spectacle above star power. At the very least, it's clear that Star Wars: Starfighter is a major change for Star Wars. Whether it's a permanent or temporary change remains to be seen.
Release Date
May 28, 2027
Director
Shawn Levy
English (US) ·