Shawn Levy's Star Wars: Starfighter film was already expected to be one of the most star-studded films in Star Wars history, but the director recently confirmed something that no one could have ever expected — Tom Cruise was involved in the making of the film. Releasing in 2027, one year after Star Wars makes its grand return to theaters with The Mandalorian & Grogu, Star Wars: Starfighter will take fans on a journey to the galaxy far, far away that is led by Ryan Gosling. Fans already knew the upcoming film would be big, but it has now gotten even bigger.
In an interview with the New York Times, Starfighter director Shawn Levy revealed that legendary actor and director Tom Cruise played a part in the creation of the upcoming film. Cruise is best known for his acting roles and incredible commitment to filmmaking, so it is no surprise to learn that he actually got behind the camera and filmed what will likely be an extremely important scene in the film.
Specifically, Levy confirmed that Cruise flew out to the studio during Starfighter's filming because he just wanted to spectate what was going on. However, Levy playfully joked that Cruise should get behind one of the cameras, and Cruise took him up on that offer.
According to Levy, Cruise stood in a body of water, holding one of the digital cameras, and "[ruined] his very nice shoes" just to be able to shoot a scene for the upcoming movie. In the same breath, the director also revealed that legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg had also visited the set. Notably, Spielberg is an extremely close friend of George Lucas, and even helped Lucas with the making of the original trilogy and Revenge of the Sith:
"Last week Steven Spielberg was here. And now Tom Cruise is wielding a camera, ruining his very nice shoes."
It is very interesting that Tom Cruise would visit a Star Wars set and end up shooting one of the movie's scenes, but it is even more notable which scene he shot. For the first time since the film's announcement, Levy confirmed that Starfighter will include at least one lightsaber duel, and that at least part of that particular duel was what Cruise filmed:
"Now when you see the movie, you’ll know that part of it was shot by Tom. I mean, how cool is that?"
Fans had no idea what the plot of Starfighter would be, and, truthfully, they still don't. However, this is the first time anyone has revealed that lightsabers will play a role in the film, and that it will include one of Star Wars' iconic duels.
Not much else was revealed about Cruise's involvement or the scene that he shot, but the article did confirm that the lightsaber duel will take place in water. So, when fans are watching Starfighter, and there is a battle in the water, now they will know that at least some of the scene was filmed by none other than Tom Cruise.
Star Wars: Starfighter will also feature Mia Goth and Matt Smith as antagonists. Flynn Gray, Amy Adams (who will seemingly be a Jedi), and the DCU's Aaron Pierre will also appear in the film.
Is Star Wars: Starfighter Getting Too Hyped Up?
There is no question that Star Wars: Starfighter will be one of the biggest movies ever released in the galaxy far, far away. Not only will it star top-of-the-line, A-list actors, but it will also feature shots filmed by legendary names in the film industry, such as Tom Cruise. On top of that, people like Steven Spielberg have visited the set, so Starfighter is already somewhat becoming a mythical title, and a trailer for it has not even been released.
It is no secret that Star Wars is not in the best place, particularly with its feature films. Overall, the sequel trilogy left a bad taste in the mouths of many, particularly due to The Rise of Skywalker, and, since then, multiple movies have been announced and then cancelled.
So much hype was already surrounding Starfighter due to Levy's involvement and the massive cast, but now they have upped the ante by talking about Cruise's involvement, Spielberg's presence, and the inclusion of lightsabers.
Star Wars needs a big win, and Starfighter definitely has the potential to deliver one. However, the reporting about the upcoming film could lead to fans setting their expectations too high and then being disappointed if the film doesn't live up to them. In the long run, that would only hurt the movie and make fans more upset, which is not what anyone wants.
So, while Starfighter seems super exciting, it is important that fans keep their expectations in check and go into the movie with an open mind, and not expect to see the greatest Star Wars film of all time. After it is released, it could genuinely be regarded as the best one ever, but, at the same time, it also might not be.
