Rey Will Return In Ryan Gosling’s Starfighter Movie & Sets Up Her Star Wars Future (Theory)

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Ryan Gosling is currently gaining attention with his new movie, Project Hail Mary. He’s also working on another science fiction film, Star Wars: Starfighter, which is a much-awaited addition to the popular Star Wars franchise.

The upcoming movie Star Wars: Starfighter, directed by Shaun Levy and scheduled for release next year, will feature Ryan Gosling joining the Star Wars universe. This film is the first live-action story taking place after The Rise of Skywalker, moving the timeline forward and potentially paving the way for Rey Skywalker to return to the galaxy.

How The Plot Of Starfighter Sets Up Rey’s Star Wars Return

According to Kathleen Kennedy, the new film Starfighter takes place five years after Episode IX, and several hints suggest Rey may reappear. The story, as described by those involved, seems to be building towards that possibility. The film will be an adventure focusing on Gosling’s character, who acts as an uncle to his nephew – a young hero played by Flynn Grey – and is being described as a Luke Skywalker-like figure.

The pair are journeying through the galaxy, facing off against villains portrayed by Mia Goth and Matt Smith. While it’s unknown if these characters are Sith or belong to another dark side group, they’re expected to fight with red lightsabers.

This idea about Rey helps explain some parts of the overall story we’ve heard. It suggests the young character, Grey, is probably connected to the Force, and his uncle will likely journey with him throughout the galaxy, taking him to a specific destination.

If the enemy doesn’t want Grey to reach a certain location, it’s likely that location is a Jedi Academy where Grey will receive training.

At this point in the Star Wars story, Rey is essentially the only Jedi remaining. Luke Skywalker identified her as the last Jedi just six years before Starfighter, and while Finn may become a Jedi Knight in the new film, Rey is still the main Force-user fighting for good in the galaxy and is probably trying to create a new generation of Jedi.

Because of this, it might seem strange if anyone other than Rey played this part in the new Starfighter movie, suggesting this could be the film that brings Daisy Ridley back to the series.

Why Rey Will Be Important To Star Wars: Starfighter

As a huge Star Wars fan, it’s becoming clearer why Rey is so important to the future of the franchise. For years, Lucasfilm, under Kathleen Kennedy, has been hinting at stories that take place after Episode IX, and it sounds like Rey is going to be the central figure in all of them. They’ve been planning this for a while, and it’s exciting to see it finally come together!

Even though she might not be on screen for very long, it’s logical to make her the main focus of the Starfighter story.

If Lucasfilm is planning this, they might be aiming to broaden the Star Wars universe with a fresh story and new characters. They could then introduce Rey near the end to guarantee a strong performance at the box office.

As a huge Star Wars fan, I’m hearing that Disney and Lucasfilm really see Daisy Ridley’s character as a big reason people go to see these movies. It sounds like they’re counting on her to help make the new film, Starfighter, a hit! Even though we don’t know for sure who else will be back, Ryan Gosling is saying we should all be excited and trust that it’s going to be great.

It’s understandable that Lucasfilm is focused on financial success and how well movies perform in theaters. Disney had a great start with the new Star Wars films—The Force Awakens earned over $2 billion worldwide. However, box office numbers decreased with each sequel: The Last Jedi made $1.3 billion, and The Rise of Skywalker brought in just over $1 billion.

Beyond the main series, the spin-off films have had mixed success. Rogue One was a big hit, earning over $1 billion, while Solo brought in just under $400 million.

While the recent Star Wars movies made a lot of money, ticket sales have generally been decreasing, including for the standalone films – Solo earned significantly less than Rogue One. Because of this, Lucasfilm might be hoping Starfighter will demonstrate that people are still excited about Star Wars and will go to the cinema to see it, especially since the last film was released over six years ago.

With The Mandalorian & Grogu hitting theaters this May, the Star Wars franchise is trying a new approach to theatrical releases. While the Mandalorian and Grogu have proven popular on streaming, it’s uncertain if that success will translate to the big screen. This makes a potential appearance by Rey in the upcoming Starfighter movie even more crucial for the future of the franchise.

How Starfighter Sets Up Rey’s Star Wars Future

If the idea that Flynn Grey is a Jedi apprentice learning from Rey is correct, it nicely sets up Rey’s role in future stories. A film centered around Rey Skywalker, sometimes called “New Jedi Order” by fans, was announced at Star Wars Celebration in 2023. The movie will reportedly focus on Rey training the next group of Jedi.

The character Grey could play a significant role in future Star Wars films, potentially setting the stage for Rey’s story about building a new Jedi Order. Lucasfilm has, in the past, tried to create a connected universe similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, hoping that linking projects together will encourage viewers to watch everything.

When The Mandalorian showed up in The Book of Boba Fett, it successfully connected different Star Wars stories. The character played by Grey could do the same thing, bridging the gap between Starfighter and the new movie focusing on Rey.

The movie Starfighter could also introduce new villains for Rey and her allies to face. Rumor has it that Mia Goth will play the primary villain, with Matt Smith as her right-hand person. Lucasfilm and Disney might be planning to use these popular actors in future stories, so this film could be a way to establish them in the Star Wars universe.

This would be similar to how they introduced Kylo Ren, originally known as Ben Solo. Like with The Force Awakens, they established him as a villain before making him a key character in The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.

Star Wars: Starfighter releases in theaters on May 28, 2027.

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2026-03-23 00:35