In Brief:
- Ryan Gosling stars in "Star Wars: Starfighter," directed by Shawn Levy, opening in theaters May 28, 2027.
- Footage shown at D23 Expo reportedly features the G17 Imperial Reaper, billed as the fastest starfighter ever built.
- The standalone film is set about five years after "The Rise of Skywalker," separate from the Skywalker Saga.
Star Wars Starfighter: Ryan Gosling's next Star Wars film is bringing a new speed record to the galaxy.
"Star Wars: Starfighter" reportedly features a ship that outruns every starfighter the franchise has shown so far. The film arrives in theaters May 28, 2027.
Shawn Levy directs. The story unfolds about five years after "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker."
It follows pilot Kade Auberon, played by Gosling, and a young boy played by Flynn Gray.
Footage was shown privately at Disney's D23 Expo in August. The Direct reported details of it Oct. 16.
In the footage, Auberon flies a decommissioned G17 Imperial Reaper. He calls it the fastest starfighter ever built.
The trailer has not been released online. Fan-recorded versions briefly circulated. Lucasfilm removed them.
That leaves the D23 presentation as the main source of details.
The sequence reportedly opens in a dusty workshop. Gray's character finds the ship there. Auberon warns him not to touch anything.
The boy asks what the vessel is. The pilot explains why it matters. Then the ship takes off. It dodges blaster fire. It weaves between enormous pillars of water.
If the claim holds, the G17 tops every ship on record. The Direct reports that the previous leader was the TIE/vn space superiority fighter, better known as Kylo Ren's TIE silencer. It reaches 155 megalights per hour, or MGLT.
Other fast ships trail behind. The TIE dagger hits 150 MGLT. Major Vonreg's TIE Baron reaches 145 MGLT.
Kylo Ren's TIE Whisper and the TIE Avenger prototype both top out at 140 MGLT. Din Djarin's modified N-1 starfighter reaches 130 MGLT.
The Resistance's RZ-2 A-wing registers 125 MGLT. The Rebel Alliance's RZ-1 A-wing reaches 120 MGLT.
Classic ships fall well short. Luke Skywalker's T-65 X-wing maxes out at 100 MGLT.
The Millennium Falcon reaches 75 MGLT in realspace. The footage did not reveal the G17's exact speed.
The ship's Imperial roots raise questions. The Galactic Empire fell at Endor in 4 ABY. It formally surrendered after the Battle of Jakku in 5 ABY.
"Starfighter" takes place around 40 ABY. If the ship was built during the Imperial era, it is at least 35 years older than the film's events.
The Direct reported that the ship's decommissioned status could explain its unusual abilities.
The film has not revealed how. The vessel's past may tie into Auberon's mission and the larger story.
The ship is not the only shake-up. CBR reported Oct. 13 that "Starfighter" tells a standalone story.
It is separate from the Skywalker Saga. That saga's characters and conflicts have driven the franchise since the original 1977 film.
Gosling plays Auberon, a pilot tasked with protecting a mysterious boy. He must escort the child across a fractured galaxy.
Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre and Amy Adams also star. Jonathan Tropper wrote the screenplay.
The film follows "The Mandalorian and Grogu," which reached theaters in May 2026. Lucasfilm is expanding its big-screen slate.
Unlike earlier projects tied to the Skywalker family, "Starfighter" is built to stand on its own. It shares the same universe but not the same central family story.
Fans remain split on where the franchise is headed. In an Oct. 12 opinion piece, The Observer reported mixed views among Notre Dame students about Dave Filoni.
He succeeded Kathleen Kennedy in January 2026. Freshman William Wetzel said he trusts Filoni's work.
Freshman Liam Skillings said the franchise should respond more carefully to what audiences expect.
Those views reflect a wider debate. Fans are weighing familiar characters against fresh stories.
"Starfighter" will put that debate in the spotlight when it opens May 28, 2027.
The release also marks 50 years since the franchise first hit theaters.
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