Ryan Gosling is taking the galaxy far, far away out to sea. Director Shawn Levy unveiled the first image from Star Wars: Starfighter, showing Gosling alongside young actor Flynn Gray in heavy weather gear aboard a vessel that appears to be floating somewhere off the coast of Sardinia, Italy.
Levy posted the still on Instagram with the caption: “Somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea.” The upcoming film will be a standalone addition to the franchise, set five years after The Rise of Skywalker. Unlike previous spin-offs, it will not directly connect to the Skywalker saga.
Lucasfilm has confirmed a high-profile ensemble alongside Gosling and Gray, including Mia Goth, Matt Smithwho is tipped to play the main villainAmy Adams, Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman and Daniel Ings.
Plot details remain tightly guarded, though Levy has promised an original approach. The nautical setting already marks a sharp break from Star Wars’s traditional landscapes of deserts, forests and outer space. The released still suggests sea-borne drama will play a central role, with fans online quickly dubbing it “the waterborne Star Wars we didn’t know we needed.”
Reactions have been swift across Reddit and X, where speculation ranges from theories that Gray’s character could be Gosling’s apprentice or relative to guesses about how much of the story will unfold on water.
Production began earlier this year in the UK, with Sardinia serving as a key location for ocean sequences. The screenplay was written by Jonathan Tropper, a frequent collaborator of Levy. Star Wars: Starfighter is scheduled for release on 28 May 2027, with fans already bracing for what could be the saga’s boldest visual departure yet.
