The Star Wars cinematic universe is officially charting a new course beyond the Skywalker Saga—and Daisy Ridley’s Rey won’t be at the helm this time.Credit: LucasfilmWhile Lucasfilm’s theatrical roadmap has remained fluid for some time, movement is finally gaining momentum. As it stands, The Mandalorian and Grogu is one of the only Star Wars films locked into Disney’s calendar, with a premiere set for May 22, 2026. That film is rumored to serve as a big-screen continuation of The Mandalorian rather than the studio pursuing a Season 4, but Lucasfilm has yet to confirm any such shift.Meanwhile, another project that had been quietly percolating has surged forward: Shawn Levy’s Star Wars film.Credit: LucasfilmShawn Levy’s Galaxy Far, Far Away Gains ClarityIn late 2023, Levy confirmed to IndieWire: “There’s a Star Wars movie that I’m developing. You never know what’s going to become undeniable and get made next.” Working alongside The Adam Project screenwriter Jonathan Tropper, Levy’s script was already in the works.According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film will be entirely separate from the Skywalker-centered timeline: “It is, however, to be unconnected to the so-called Skywalker Saga, the stories centered on well-established and beloved characters Luke Skywalker and his father, Anakin,” the outlet noted. “It is meant to be a stand-alone movie, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter. Lucasfilm had no comment on any impending deal or the project’s details.”Credit: LucasfilmBut Levy’s film will be the next to roll the cameras.As The Hollywood Reporter revealed, “Ryan Gosling is headed to the great galaxy far, far away. The three-time Oscar nominee is in negotiations to topline the Star Wars feature project that will be directed by Deadpool & Wolverine filmmaker Shawn Levy.”The casting speculation originated from insider @MyTimeToShineH, who claimed the film is “moving fast” and suggested that Gosling was already attached. The move would mark Gosling’s entry into the Star Wars universe and a fresh start for the franchise’s next cinematic chapter.Credit: Universal PicturesAdding fuel to the production timeline, Daniel Richtman (via Comic Book Movie) reported that “it may start shooting as early as this Fall in the UK.” That aligns with The Hollywood Reporter’s own insight: “If a deal makes, the project would continue to fly like the Millennium Falcon, becoming not only Levy’s next movie but also the next Star Wars movie to go into production, with cameras potentially rolling this fall.”In an interview with Deadline, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy offered more detail on how the film fits within the broader continuity: “Shawn’s is a standalone Star Wars story that’ll take place post-nine, maybe five or six years out. And Mandalorian really stands on its own because there, we’re dealing with a whole other era in the New Republic,” she explained.Credit: Lucasfilm“We have other development going on in that space as well. So that’s the space that we’re pretty much focused on right at the moment because, obviously, with Mandalorian, we have a pretty good sense of where that’s going. And with this, it’s all pretty much new characters. We may bring some of the characters back from the sequel saga, but pretty much new characters.”One additional name being linked to Levy’s film is Jesse Plemons. Richtman reported that the Civil War (2024) star “has the offer” to play the primary antagonist.Those rumors were eventually validated as Levy’s project was formally announced, titled, and given a release date.Credit: LucasfilmStar Wars: Starfighter Confirmed at Star Wars Celebration 2025At Star Wars Celebration 2025 in Tokyo, Levy and Gosling appeared onstage with Kennedy and Dave Filoni to unveil the film: Star Wars: Starfighter, coming May 28, 2027.According to StarWars.com, “Set approximately five years after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Gosling will play a brand-new character teased by the actor’s appearance on stage.”Credit: LucasfilmThe announcement added: “One of several theatrical projects still in development from Lucasfilm, including films by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, James Mangold, Taika Waititi, and a new trilogy by Simon Kinberg, Levy’s film–Star Wars: Starfighter–will star Gosling and go into production starting this fall.”Though early expectations pointed to a return for Rey in the post-sequel era, Starfighter shifts the spotlight entirely. With Gosling steering this new chapter, it represents a fresh perspective set after the fall of the First Order and the defeat of Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid).Credit: LucasfilmStarfighter Sees Rey Skywalker’s Jedi-Padawan Dream CrumbleA new report has suggested that this upcoming Star Wars film, the next after Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian and Grogu, will feature the first live-action real-time Jedi-Padawan relationship since George Lucas’s prequel trilogy. According to entertainment insider Daniel Richtman, Ryan Gosling will portray a Jedi training his nephew.“A Jedi (played by Ryan Gosling) trains his 15-year-old nephew as his Padawan. They’re on a mission while being pursued by two villains — one male, one female,” Richtman wrote on Patreon (via The Direct). “The Padawan’s mother also plays an important role in the story, and there’s another major female character as well.”Credit: LucasfilmAs for Ridley’s Rey? The character’s cinematic future remains uncertain. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s project, believed to follow Rey rebuilding the Jedi Order, is still active behind the scenes. However, a recent report claimed that the movie’s production had been put on temporary hold. The fast-tracking of Levy’s reported Jedi movie could be a reason behind this suspension.The Obaid-Chinoy movie may still be on, but it is interesting that Lucasfilm is deciding to lead its post-sequel trilogy movie era with a Jedi-Padawan movie and not have it focus on Rey Skywalker. That’s not to say the New Jedi Order movie won’t happen, though. In fact, the training of the Padawan may lead Ryan Gosling’s character into the Order that Rey is establishing.Damon Lindelof was previously attached to write a script set 60 years after The Rise of Skywalker, potentially with Helen Mirren playing an older Rey. That iteration, however, appears to have stalled. At one point, insiders speculated Rey might feature in Levy’s film, but Gosling’s casting has seemed to put that theory to rest—for now.Credit: LucasfilmWhat Could Star Wars: Starfighter Be About?The title might sound familiar to longtime fans. Star Wars: Starfighter was a LucasArts video game released in 2001. But despite the shared name, the game’s events—set before 1999’s Star Wars: Episode I–The Phantom Menace—make any direct connection to Levy’s film unlikely. However, a thematic nod to the game’s premise—a team of fighter pilots uniting to defend against a planetary invasion—could be in play.Levy, known for assembling ragtag ensembles in emotionally driven stories like The Adam Project and Stranger Things, might draw on that sensibility here. With Gosling in the lead, the movie could explore new dimensions of camaraderie and purpose in the aftermath of galactic upheaval. The movie also stars Mia Goth.The film’s standalone nature might also allow Lucasfilm to broaden its appeal. With new faces, a fresh setting, and minimal reliance on past lore, Starfighter may be the jumpstart the theatrical side of the franchise has been waiting for.Credit: LucasfilmWhat’s Next for Star Wars on the Big Screen?Several other Star Wars films remain in various stages of development. James Mangold is hard at work on his “Dawn of the Jedi” feature, set millennia before the Skywalker timeline. Dave Filoni is also steering a film deeply rooted in the Mandalorian-led New Republic era.Taika Waititi’s much-discussed Star Wars entry, however, seems stalled. Kennedy has attributed the delay to Waititi’s crowded schedule, stating the film is still alive but on pause for now. Meanwhile, Rogue Squadron—once shelved—is reportedly inching back toward viability, with whispers suggesting Patty Jenkins’ project could get new life.Credit: LucasfilmAlso in the early pipeline is a trilogy from Simon Kinberg, possibly comprising Episodes X through XII, which could dramatically reshape Lucasfilm’s long-term theatrical direction.For the time being, all eyes are on Starfighter. With Levy behind the camera, Gosling and Goth onboard, and production expected to begin this fall, Lucasfilm is preparing to reignite the cinematic side of Star Wars—this time with new stars and stories beyond Skywalker’s legacy.Let us know your thoughts on this Star Wars report in the comments below.The post Report: Disney’s New Jedi ‘Star Wars’ Movie Replaces Daisy Ridley’s Rey Skywalker appeared first on Inside the Magic.