49 years ago, George Lucas introduced the world to Luke Skywalker, played by Mark Hamill, and his sprawling Star Wars universe. The franchise went on to become a phenomenon thanks in part to one exciting tradition that stuck with fans who saw A New Hope in theaters. That tradition has endured in Star Wars storytelling ever since, and decades later, Lucasfilm is building its upcoming movie, Star Wars: Starfighter, around it, with Ryan Gosling in the lead role. Gosling plays Kade Auberon, a gifted pilot whose fate is intertwined with the fastest starfighter in the galaxy.Starfighter officially brings back the tradition of featuring a highly skilled pilot as the main character of a Star Wars movie. The original and prequel trilogies established it through Luke and Anakin Skywalker. In the first Star Wars film, one of Luke's most memorable feats was destroying the Death Star. He flew as Red Five during the Battle of Yavin, piloting his X-wing through the trench and using the Force to guide his torpedoes into the exhaust port, a daring and seemingly impossible shot to pull off.Star Wars Read full article on The Direct.