Disney has reportedly given a small group of people an exclusive early glimpse at Star Wars: Starfighter. Written by Jonathan Tropper and directed by Shawn Levy, the Ryan Gosling-led film is scheduled to arrive in theaters on May 28, 2027, following Lucasfilm's return to theaters with The Mandalorian and Grogu in 2026. While the movie is falling short of typical Star Wars box office expectations with $172.4 million domestically so far, Gosling is coming off the massive success of Project Hail Mary and will be looking to carry that momentum into the Galaxy Far, Far Away.
According to a recent Deadline report, Disney screened footage and first looks from several upcoming projects during its CineEurope presentation, including Star Wars: Starfighter.
While details about the footage remain under wraps, the screening appears to mark the first time anyone outside of Lucasfilm and Disney has seen material from the film.
CineEurope is a European cinema convention known for major Hollywood and international studios giving theater owners an exclusive first look at their upcoming movies.
Up until now, public marketing for Starfighter has been limited to a handful of behind-the-scenes images shared by director Shawn Levy, which offered fans their first look at Ryan Gosling alongside young co-star Flynn Gray.
As a result, attendees at the closed-door presentation were treated to the movie's best reveal yet, getting an early glimpse at a project that remains largely shrouded in mystery.
What we do know about Starfighter is set roughly five years after The Rise of Skywalker and follows an entirely new cast of characters rather than continuing the Skywalker Saga.
Gosling, Gray, Matt Smith, and Mia Goth lead the cast, with Smith and Goth reportedly playing the film's villains. Gosling, Gray, and Goth's characters are all expected to be Force-sensitive, although it remains unclear whether any of them will fall under the traditional Jedi or Sith labels.
Considering how unoriginal The Mandalorian and Grogu felt, basically just a theatrical version of The Mandalorian, there's a lot of excitement for Starfighter among fans. The question now becomes, when will general audiences get the same first look at those exhibitors as CineEurope did?
When Will the Starfighter Trailer Release?
Now that Disney has begun quietly showing footage from Star Wars: Starfighter, the next question is when the wider public will get its first look. The most likely venue appears to be D23 in August, where Disney traditionally unveils exclusive footage, trailers, and major announcements for its biggest franchises.
So far, Lucasfilm and Starfighter are not expected to have a significant presence at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2026, making D23 the logical next stop for a huge trailer drop.
Even then, Disney may not rush to release a full trailer. For comparison, The Mandalorian and Grogu debuted its first trailer in September 2025, and these two films share a similar Memorial Day release window one year apart.
A Starfighter trailer could easily follow a similar timeline, potentially arriving during ESPN's Monday Night Football broadcasts after the NFL season begins. Disney has frequently used the platform to showcase major upcoming releases, although Avengers: Doomsday will likely command much of the company's attention throughout the fall.
Still, fans should expect Starfighter footage to be publicly available well before Doomsday arrives in theaters on December 18. Unlike previous Star Wars films that could rely heavily on iconic legacy characters or nostalgia, Starfighter is being built around Gosling's star power and an entirely new adventure.
That makes the film's marketing campaign especially important, and Disney will likely invest heavily in promoting it after The Mandalorian and Grogu failed to fully restore Star Wars' theatrical dominance in 2026.
A second trailer or major footage reveal during Super Bowl season in early 2027 also feels highly likely as the countdown to release enters its final months.
