Kathleen Kennedy Addresses Whether STAR WARS: STARFIGHTER Could Become a Sequel-Fueled Franchise

Star Wars is a universe that’s shaped generations of fans and continues to evolve. With several upcoming Star Wars movies and shows on the way, one project drawing serious curiosity is Star Wars: Starfighter, the standalone film being directed by Shawn Levy.

Naturally, fans are already wondering if this new story could turn into something bigger. According to Kathleen Kennedy, the answer is complicated.

Interest in Starfighter spiked back in August when we got our first look at Ryan Gosling in the film. Levy’s project was announced as a one-off story, separate from the Skywalker Saga and existing trilogies, but in Star Wars, standalone stories have a way of growing legs.

During a recent conversation with Deadline, Kennedy addressed whether a sequel is something Lucasfilm is already considering, saying:

“We could, but this was designed as a real stand-alone. We have the Mandalorian movie with Jon Favreau coming next, which also was great and a completely different Star Wars movie. That comes out in May.”

After years of focusing on interconnected stories and long-form Disney+ series, the studio appears to be leaning back into theatrical films that don’t require homework. With the Skywalker Saga firmly in the rearview mirror, Lucasfilm seems more comfortable experimenting again.

Kennedy later expanded on the idea, reinforcing that Starfighter wasn’t built as the start of a new franchise, even if future possibilities can’t be ruled out entirely. She explained:

“With Shawn’s movie, this could go on, but it’s not our intention right now. We really made the movie as a standalone story. But you cannot ignore the fact that this young actor is so good.

“I will be very surprised if he doesn’t go on and we don’t try to see if there might be future stories. But it was kind of nice not going into this and not having to think that way. We could just make a movie and tell a story.”

The “young actor” Kennedy is referring to is Flynn Gray, Gosling’s co-star, who clearly made an impression on the Lucasfilm president. While Gosling’s involvement already gives Starfighter serious star power, Gray’s performance could be the wildcard that opens the door to future stories if audiences respond.

That potential only gets more interesting when you look at the rest of the cast. Gosling and Gray will be sharing the screen with Amy Adams, Mia Goth, and Matt Smith.

While the franchise hasn’t slowed down on streaming, there’s a different kind of excitement that comes with seeing these stories on the big screen again. Between Starfighter and The Mandalorian and Grogu, Lucasfilm seems ready to remind audiences why theatrical Star Wars still matters.

For now, Star Wars: Starfighter is locked in as a standalone adventure, with its theatrical release set for May 28th, 2027. Whether it stays that way may depend on how audiences connect with these new characters after they watch the movie.