Ryan Gosling’s Starfighter overtakes Daisy Ridley’s New Jedi Order in shaping Star Wars’ post-Skywalker era

Over the past six years, the Star Wars franchise has largely focused on its past, resisting the temptation to move beyond the events of 2019’s Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. While successes such as The Mandalorian have helped fill in timeline gaps, fans have been waiting with bated breath for the next instalment in the Skywalker saga. However, Lucasfilm has found it somewhat challenging to chart this future.
Initially, the sequel was set to continue with Daisy Ridley returning as Rey Skywalker in a film exploring the "New Jedi Order" era. Announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023, Ridley’s film—colloquially referred to by fans as Star Wars: New Jedi Order (though Lucasfilm has yet to officially title it)—was expected to take place 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker, within Star Wars continuity in the year 50 ABY.
Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy stated shortly after the announcement:
“[Daisy Ridley’s movie is] 15 years out from The Rise of Skywalker, so we’re post-war, post-First Order, and the Jedi are in disarray. There’s a lot of discussion around: ‘Who are the Jedi? What are they doing? What’s the state of the galaxy?’ She’s attempting to rebuild the Jedi Order—based on the books, based on what she promised Luke—so that’s where we’re going.”
However, since that original announcement, Ridley’s film has faced numerous delays, undergoing multiple rewrites by various writers, with director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s involvement now seemingly on hold. Despite Lucasfilm’s ongoing insistence that the film remains in development, no official updates have been provided over the years.
In a dramatic reversal, Star Wars: Starfighter—a film that had once been placed on the backburner—has now surged ahead, with a scheduled 2027 release and the green light to begin shooting this year. This shift is significant, as Ridley’s movie was originally due to begin filming in 2024, but is now not expected to start until 2026 at the earliest.
According to a Lucasfilm press release, Star Wars: Starfighter is set just five years after The Rise of Skywalker—ten years before the Ridley film, assuming the original timeline remains unchanged despite the rewrites. While both films can coexist, Starfighter taking precedence in the post-sequel trilogy era feels particularly noteworthy. Furthermore, the film is said to break free from the nostalgia of resurrected characters, aiming instead for a fresh tone reminiscent of the original Star Wars film.
Awarding Star Wars: Starfighter the prestigious release date marking the 50th anniversary of the 1977 Star Wars film—over Ridley’s project—appears to be a deliberate decision.
Despite these developments, the prospect of Star Wars: New Jedi Order remains very much alive. The more Star Wars films, the merrier. Like the twin suns of Tatooine, we may be witnessing twin futures for the Star Wars galaxy.