Who Ryan Gosling plays in Star Wars: Starfighter? Name’s out — plus story details

Disney dropped a proper treat for Star Wars fans at this year’s D23 expo, finally unveiling the first real look at Star Wars: Starfighter and even dragging Ryan Gosling on stage for a bit of extra fanfare. Not only did Gosling swap jackets mid-appearance—showing off a sharp bit of costume inspired by his character, Kade Auberon—he also gave the crowd a few crumbs about what’s coming when the film lands in cinemas next May.

Star Wars: Starfighter will debut exclusively in cinemas on 28 May 2027.

Kade Auberon Takes Flight

Gosling’s character, Kade Auberon, is looking like a bit of a rogue—'from the wrong side of the galaxy', as he puts it—whose destiny ends up tangled with the fastest starfighter in the galaxy. He even turned up in a jacket sporting an inverted symbol linked to Kade himself, so you know they’re leaning hard into making this the next iconic Star Wars look. Following his onstage tease, Disney rolled the first proper teaser for the crowd—and by all accounts, it’s a spectacle.

The preview itself is classic Star Wars but with a new edge: you see Kade stumbling on a young bloke tinkering with a grounded, supposedly retired fighter jet (yes, that record-setting one everyone keeps banging on about). After a Top Gun-esque tune-up, Kade and his robot copilot tear across various new alien worlds, shaking off hostile droids and weaving through laser blasts. There’s no sign of lightsabers or Jedi shenanigans—at least, not in the footage shown—but it’s clear we’re in for a more pilot-focused spin on the saga.

Plot and Cast Details

The film sits five years after The Rise of Skywalker, landing us in previously unseen territory for Star Wars. Directing duties are handled by Shawn Levy (yes, the bloke from Stranger Things and Free Guy), with Jonathan Tropper penning the script. If you’re expecting any major story reveals, though, D23 kept those cards close—they’re just hinting at themes of hope and family, staying loyal to Star Wars tradition.

Levy, speaking to the fans at D23 after the teaser dropped, drove home the timing and his approach to the franchise:

'Our movie comes out May 2027. I’m honored that we’re releasing our film on the same exact weekend that the original "Star Wars" came out exactly 50 years earlier. "Starfighter" embodies the themes of hope and family that have always been core to [these films]. It takes place in a period of time that’s never been shown in a Star Wars adventure.'

If you want the full cast rundown, Gosling’s joined by Flynn Gray, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, and Amy Adams. Quite the eclectic mix for a Star Wars flick, honestly.