‘Star Wars: Starfighter’: First Look at Ryan Gosling’s Character

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Production on the new *Star Wars* movie, *Starfighter*, is going smoothly, and fans are now getting a better glimpse of the character played by Ryan Gosling.

Director Shawn Levy, known for his work on *Deadpool & Wolverine*, posted a photo on Wednesday, September 17th, showing Ryan Gosling and his co-star Flynn Gray on set in the Mediterranean.

Levy shared a photo on social media with the caption ‘#Starfighter,’ showing Ryan Gosling in costume on a boat. His young co-star can be seen in the background against the horizon. You can view the picture below.

Details about the characters and story of *Starfighter* are currently scarce. Online fan speculation suggests that Gray might play the nephew of Gosling’s character, and the film could involve a protective dynamic where the older character safeguards the boy from dangerous enemies – a sort of experienced protector and vulnerable charge storyline.

Filming officially began in late August, and director Shawn Levy shared a first-look photo of Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans standing by what seems to be a landspeeder.

As a huge Star Wars fan, I was really excited to hear from Lucasfilm that their new project, *Starfighter*, isn’t just another retelling of familiar events. They’re promising a completely fresh story, set during a time period we’ve *never* seen in the Star Wars universe before. That’s a bold claim, but it definitely got my attention!

Earlier this year, Levy stated the movie isn’t a prequel or sequel, but a completely new story taking place during a time period not yet shown in previous films.

The film is set roughly five years after the events of 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker.

The movie will feature Amy Adams, known for her role in *Man of Steel*, along with Matt Smith from *House of the Dragon* and Mia Goth of *Frankenstein*. Smith and Goth will play the film’s villains.

Star Wars: Starfighter is currently scheduled to hit theaters on May 28, 2027.

The next *Star Wars* movie coming to theaters will be *The Mandalorian & Grogu*, a film based on the popular Disney+ series *The Mandalorian*. It’s currently planned for release on May 22, 2026.

20 Actors You Forgot Were in Star Wars

Michael Biehn

Michael Biehn, a well-known actor in science fiction thanks to roles in films like *The Terminator* and *Aliens*, appeared in Season 2 of *The Mandalorian*. He played Lang, a tough mercenary who works for Morgan Elsbeth. Lang eventually encounters and is ultimately killed by the Mandalorian – a common fate for actors making guest appearances on TV shows.

Jack Black (and Lizzo!)

One of the most surprising cameos in *Star Wars* history happened in Season 3 of *The Mandalorian*. When Mando and his team landed on the planet Plazir-15, they discovered it was governed by none other than Jack Black and Lizzo. While some might find the casting unusual, the pair definitely fit the roles of quirky space leaders.

Rose Byrne

Before becoming famous in movies like *Insidious* and *Bridesmaids*, Rose Byrne had a small, uncredited role in *Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones*. She appeared as one of Senator Amidala’s handmaidens in an early scene, and doesn’t exactly look overjoyed to be there.

Jodie Comer

Fans who watched the quick flashback to Rey’s difficult childhood in *Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker* may have recognized Jodie Comer (from *Killing Eve*) as her mother. Rey’s father, Dathan, is related to Emperor Palpatine, and Comer’s character, Miramir, married him despite his family’s evil legacy. It seems she has a knack for choosing questionable partners!

Jon Favreau

Jon Favreau is famous for his work on *Star Wars*, especially as the creator of *The Mandalorian* and the voice of the character Pre Vizsla. But before that, he also voiced the character Rio in *Solo: A Star Wars Story*. Though Rio’s story ended tragically, Favreau’s involvement with *Star Wars* continues – he’s now writing and directing a feature film about *The Mandalorian* and Grogu.

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Several well-known actors have also contributed to the animated side of *Star Wars*. Many fans who only watch the live-action movies and shows might be surprised to learn that Sarah Michelle Gellar, famous for *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*, voiced the villain Seventh Sister in season two of *Star Wars Rebels*. She appeared in six episodes and delivered a really strong performance as the Inquisitor – it’s worth checking out some clips!

Keira Knightley

Just in case you’ve forgotten, the plot of *The Phantom Menace* relies on Queen Amidala cleverly disguising herself. She uses look-alikes – handmaidens who resemble her perfectly – to fool everyone. For a large part of the movie, the Jedi and young Anakin interact with one of these handmaidens, Padmé, without realizing Padmé is actually the queen in disguise. (She wanted to connect with her people!) Meanwhile, another handmaiden is pretending to *be* the queen, and that role was played by a young Keira Knightley, before she became famous in *Pirates of the Caribbean*. They really did look alike at that age.

John Leguizamo

You wouldn’t be alone if you missed actor John Leguizamo in his appearance on *The Mandalorian*. He played the character Gor Koresh in the episode “The Marshal,” and with green skin, a combover, a potbelly, and only one eye, he was pretty unrecognizable! Koresh was a bit of a troublemaker who got into a conflict with Mando over his beskar armor.

Christopher Lloyd

Wow, talk about a surprise! Seeing Christopher Lloyd pop up in *The Mandalorian* Season 3, Episode 6, “Guns For Hire,” was a real treat. He played Commissioner Helgait, the head of security on the planet run by Lizzo and Jack Black – a seemingly harmless name for a character who turned out to be quite the schemer! It was fun watching Mando and his crew uncover Helgait’s plot and bring peace back to Plazir-15. What a fantastic episode, and what a week for *The Mandalorian* fans!

Tim Meadows

Season 3 of *The Mandalorian* really surprised viewers with its guest appearances! In the episode “The Pirate,” Tim Meadows, known from *Saturday Night Live*, showed up as Colonel Tuttle, a New Republic official. He didn’t believe Carson Teva, an X-wing pilot, when Teva warned that the Empire might be trying to regain power after the events of *Return of the Jedi*. Honestly, the idea of Palpatine coming back seemed impossible – or is it?

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of hits like *In the Heights* and *Hamilton*, first worked with *Star Wars* by writing a song for the cantina scene in *The Force Awakens*. As a thank you, he got a small role in *The Rise of Skywalker*. You can see him briefly during the celebratory scene after the final battle, when Rose is hugging Chewbacca.

Simon Pegg

You might not know this, but the actor who played Unkar Plutt – the junk dealer in the Star Wars films who barters with Rey – was Simon Pegg, famous for his roles in *Shaun of the Dead* and *Hot Fuzz*. Pegg actually suggested an additional scene where his character confronts Rey about the Millennium Falcon. They even filmed it! However, the scene was cut before the final release. It was quite dramatic – Chewbacca steps in and rips off Unkar Plutt’s arm! That’s a quarter of his body!

Stephen Root

The show *The Book of Boba Fett* also featured some unexpected celebrity appearances. In the third episode, “The Streets of Mos Espa,” Boba Fett met a water seller named Lortha Peel, who needed help with a gang that was stealing from him. Instead of simply eliminating the gang, Boba gave them employment and then held Peel accountable for overcharging his customers. The role of Peel was played by Stephen Root, a familiar face from shows like *NewsRadio* and films such as *Dodgeball*, *O Brother, Where Art Thou?*, and *Office Space*. Perhaps if Peel had offered Boba Fett his red stapler, he might have been more willing to help with the gangsters.

George Takei

George Takei is practically synonymous with *Star Trek*; he famously played Lieutenant (and later Captain) Sulu in numerous episodes and all six of the original *Star Trek* movies. While the *Star Trek* and *Star Wars* universes rarely overlap, Takei actually lent his voice to *Star Wars: The Clone Wars*, portraying the alien general Lok Durd.

Sophie Thatcher

Remember those gangsters Stephen Root’s character wanted to eliminate in *The Book of Boba Fett*? One of them was played by Sophie Thatcher, who you might recognize from *Yellowjackets*, as well as the horror films *Heretic* and *Companion*. It would have been really cool if she’d played a bigger role, like Black Krrsantan, for example.

Justin Theroux

I always found it so weird in *The Last Jedi* that the Resistance went after this really cool-looking guy – Justin Theroux, you might know him from *The Leftovers* – hoping he could help them. He had a white suit and a stripe of dark hair, super memorable! But they ended up arresting him and Finn and Rose *before* he even got a name! Seriously, the character is just called “Master Codebreaker” on Wookiepedia. And get this – apparently Justin Theroux only found out he was in the movie and filmed his scenes one day before they actually shot them! It’s such a strange little detail that always stuck with me.

Danny Trejo

The latest episode of *The Book of Boba Fett* wraps up with Boba Fett winning a battle against two Hutt twins, who then try to win his approval by giving him a rancor. Veteran actor Danny Trejo, known for his tough-guy roles in films like *Heat*, *xXx*, and many Robert Rodriguez movies – including *Desperado*, *Grindhouse*, *Once Upon a Time in Mexico*, *Spy Kids*, and *Machete* – is the one who handles the rancor. And who directed this episode? None other than Robert Rodriguez himself.

Titus Welliver

Titus Welliver is an actor known for his roles in shows like *Lost* and *Sons of Anarchy*. He’s particularly famous for playing the lead in the *Bosch* and *Bosch: Legacy* detective series. More recently, he appeared in the third season of *The Mandalorian* in the episode “The Heiress” as an Imperial Captain working with Moff Gideon. For fun, let’s call his character Captain B’Osch!

Dominic West

It always blows my mind to learn about actors before they were famous! I was rewatching *The Phantom Menace* the other day and realized that Jimmy McNulty – Dominic West! – was actually *in* it! He wasn’t a main character, of course, but he played one of the palace guards when Anakin first arrives to see Padmé. You can spot him right at the beginning of that scene, briefly stopping Anakin from going in. It’s so wild to see him playing such a small role before becoming the iconic detective we all know and love!

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2025-09-17 23:29