According to a new report, a new Star Wars trilogy set after Episode IX may already be filming. It has been nearly six years since the last Star Wars trilogy came to an end (with the release of The Rise of Skywalker in 2019), and there has been no official word on whether a new trilogy is in the works to fill that void. Several one-off films, like The Mandalorian & Grogu and James Mangold's First Jedi movie, have been announced, but in a series so well known for its trios, there has been a desire from fans for a new triumvirate to be revealed.
Insider My Time To Shine Hello shared in a recent report that Lucasfilm is eyeing the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter as the potential start of a new trilogy set within the beloved sci-fi universe.
The noted scooper wrote in a new post on their personal X page that the currently in-production Star Wars epic will include a "big cameo" during its final act to set up a potential sequel, with plans to make three Ryan Gosling-led movies under the Starfighter name.
Who this cameo could be remains to be seen, but rumors have been circulating about Daisy Ridley's Rey potentially playing a part in the 2027 film. So, this could be a subtle reference to the Sequel Trilogy Jedi.
Both Starfighter and the upcoming New Jedi Order movie from director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy take place several years post-Episode IX, so it would make sense timeline-wise if Rey were to show up.
Since The Rise of Skywalker, talk of a new Star Wars trilogy has been near-constant. Previously, it was reported that The Mandalorian & Grogu would start a new trio of films, and X-Men franchise writer Simon Kinberg has been attached to a potential trilogy as well.
Star Wars: Starfighter is currently in production, with filming taking place in England and Italy. The new movie from Deadpool & Wolverine filmmaker stars Ryan Gosling and Flynn Gray, following an ace pilot who is tasked with getting a 'very special' teenage boy from one place to another.
Gosling and Gray's journey will not come without its obstacles, though, as Pearl star Mia Goth and former Doctor Who actor Matt Smith have also been cast to play the movie's primary villains. Star Wars: Starfighter is due out in theaters on May 28, 2027.
Why Star Wars: Starfighter Makes Sense For a Trilogy?
Star Wars: Starfighter kicking off the next Star Wars trilogy just makes sense.
While The Mandalorian & Grogu will be Star Wars' grand return to theaters (and could end up being a massive success), Starfighter is a new kind of Star Wars movie, one where A-list, bankable talent is shouldering the load.
Ryan Gosling is easily the biggest name to lead a new Star Wars film ever, and is doing it right in his prime. Typically, the franchise has opted for lesser-known names to headline its tentpole movies, but that is not the case here.
In an entertainment world where everything is about minimizing financial risk, having someone like Gosling lead the next Star Wars trilogy feels like as about a sure thing from a box office perspective as you are probably going to get (outside of getting someone like Christopher Nolan to direct a Star Wars movie).
Lucasfilm has a lot of options with where it can take this iconic cinematic universe next, and putting Gosling out front as the figurehead of that effort feels like a license to print money.
Sure, another A-list mega-star is leading The Mandalorian movie, Pedro Pascal, but that even feels like a risk, as Disney has yet to successfully transition any of its streaming properties to the big screen.
While it is not a guarantee, putting the weight of this next chapter of the Star Wars story on Ryan Gosling (and, in turn, the Starfighter name) feels like a pretty good bet.
