It has been officially confirmed that the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter will keep a long-standing franchise tradition alive. Starfighter director Shawn Levy revealed that Hollywood icon Tom Cruise helped to direct a lightsaber duel scene for the 2027 film. This is the first confirmation that a lightsaber fight will be featured in the new movie.
Yes, for decades, lightsabers and Star Wars have gone together like peanut butter and jelly; however, it is not always a guarantee the fan-favorite sci-fi weapon will make an appearance. This has especially been the case in recent history, as the star-faring series ventures beyond its mainline “Skywalker Saga” of films.
Thus far, only one live-action Star Wars movie has not featured a single lightsaber appearance, the recently released Mandalorian and Grogu.Other than that, Disney+’s Andor is the only other live-action Star Wars project to come and go without the Jedi’s kyber-powered tool of choice. Because of all of this, and the Starfighter titling, some had assumed that would be the case for Levy’s upcoming blockbuster as well.
CBR Exclusive · Quiz WHICH STAR WARS CHARACTER ARE YOU? The Force Will Reveal All In a galaxy far, far away, every person carries the essence of a legendary hero — or villain. Twenty questions stand between you and the truth. Answer honestly. The Force doesn’t lie.
Luke Skywalker
Han Solo
Leia Organa
Darth Vader
Yoda
01
You’re given an impossible mission with a 20% chance of success. What’s your first instinct? A critical moment defines who you truly are.
02
Your closest friend has betrayed you for money. How do you respond? Loyalty is tested in the darkest moments.
03
You discover a powerful secret that could change everything. What do you do? Knowledge is power — and responsibility.
04
How do you typically make big decisions? Decision-making reveals your deepest nature.
05
Someone disrespects you in front of others. Your reaction? How we handle disrespect reveals our character.
06
What’s your approach to rules and authority? Every hero has their own relationship with order.
07
When facing an enemy, your strategy is: Combat reveals a warrior’s true philosophy.
08
Your biggest personal flaw is: The wisest know their own shadow.
09
Someone comes to you for guidance during a crisis. You: Leadership is defined by how we show up for others.
10
What drives you more than anything else? Your core motivation shapes every choice.
11
How do you handle failure? Resilience is the mark of a true character.
12
You’re offered enormous power at a moral cost. You: The hardest choices reveal your deepest values.
13
Your relationship with fear is: Fear is the path to the dark side — or the light?
14
People who just met you would describe you as: First impressions carry a grain of truth.
15
What’s your ideal home base? Where we feel most alive says everything.
16
How do you feel about hope? A new hope, or a dangerous illusion?
17
Your legacy — what do you want to leave behind? The ending shapes the meaning of the journey.
18
When someone you care about is in danger, you: Crisis reveals the deepest loyalties.
19
The Force — or fate, or the universe — what is it to you? Your metaphysics reveal your deepest character.
20
In the final battle — the moment of ultimate choice — you: This is the question that decides everything.
THE FORCE HAS SPOKEN YOUR GALACTIC ALIGNMENT
Your scores are shown below. The character with the highest number is your match. Read their description to discover why the Force chose you.
Luke Skywalker
Han Solo
Leia Organa
Darth Vader
Yoda
Idealistic, determined, and driven by love and justice. You believe in people even when they don’t believe in themselves, and you’d sacrifice everything for what’s right. You lead with your heart, trust your instincts, and refuse to give up on anyone — including your enemies.
Independent, charming, and fiercely loyal beneath a tough exterior. You live on your own terms and show up when it matters most, even if you’d never admit you care. You don’t follow rules — you make calculated bets on your own judgment, and you have an uncanny knack for finding a way through.
A natural leader with iron resolve. Strategic, outspoken, and utterly unintimidated by power — you fight not for glory but for lasting justice. You carry responsibility with grace, but there is iron beneath it. You inspire others not through speeches alone, but through the example of your own unwavering resolve.
Disciplined, intense, and deeply complex. You believe in order and commit absolutely to your path. You have high standards — for yourself first, then others — and little patience for weakness. Beneath the formidable exterior burns something deeply human: old loyalties, buried wounds, a past that still shapes every decision.
Wise, patient, and perceptive. You lead with stillness and insight, seeing clearly where others panic. You are the voice of reason in a chaotic room — you don’t need to be the loudest because when you speak, people listen. Your greatest power is not what you can do alone, but what you awaken in others.
Star Wars: Starfighter Will Bring Lightsabers Back to the Big Screen
This information adds a new tidbit to what fans already know about Star Wars: Starfighter. Other details include that it takes place five years after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, making it the movie set furthest into the future of the Star Wars timeline.
The title suggests it will be about a fighter pilot, likely played by Gosling, though even that isn’t confirmed. Whether that theoretical pilot has any association with the Resistance or any other faction in the Star Wars galaxy is unknown. However, Levy previously confirmed that Starfighter is a standalone Star Wars story.
“There are many rumors, some true, some not,” Levy previously teased of the film’s story. “This is not a prequel, this is not a sequel. It’s a new adventure.”
“The reality is that this script is just so good,” said Gosling during a presentation at Star Wars Celebration. “It has such a great story with great and original characters. It’s filled with so much heart and adventure, and there just really is not a more perfect filmmaker for this particular story than Shawn.”
Levy is directing Star Wars: Starfighter from a screenplay written by Jonathan Tropper. The film stars Ryan Gosling, Flynn Gray, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, and Amy Adams.
“I feel a profound sense of excitement and honor as we begin production on Star Wars: Starfighter,” Levy said in a statement when Starfighter was announced. “From the day Kathy Kennedy called me up, inviting me to develop an original adventure in this incredible Star Wars galaxy, this experience has been a dream come true, creatively and personally. Star Wars shaped my sense of what story can do, how characters and cinematic moments can live with us forever. To join this storytelling galaxy with such brilliant collaborators onscreen and off, is the thrill of a lifetime.”
Star Wars: Starfighter is scheduled for theatrical release on May 28, 2027.
