Ryan Gosling’s ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ Finally Gets Its D23 Moment, and the Character Name Is Out
Disney’s D23 event has become something of a proving ground for the studio’s most anticipated franchise entries, and this year Lucasfilm brought one of its most closely guarded projects into the spotlight. Fans have been waiting more than a year for a real glimpse of Shawn Levy’s new ‘Star Wars’ film, ever since it was first announced as a standalone story set outside the Skywalker saga.
That anticipation only grew after this summer’s disappointing box office run for ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’, which left many wondering whether the franchise needed a genuine reset. All eyes turned toward Ryan Gosling and director Shawn Levy to see if their upcoming film could deliver something fresh.
The wait officially ended at D23, where Lucasfilm and Disney unveiled the first-ever footage from ‘Star Wars: Starfighter‘ during the Disney Entertainment Showcase at Anaheim’s Honda Center. The exclusive teaser was shown only to the live audience, giving attendees a genuine “you had to be there” moment that hasn’t yet made its way online.
Alongside the footage, Levy confirmed that Gosling’s character officially has a name: Kade Auberon, a “guy from the wrong side of the galaxy whose fate is intertwined with the fastest starfighter ever built.” The reveal followed months of speculation after leaks had circulated a similar-sounding name online.
Levy also used the moment to tie the film directly into ‘Star Wars’ history, noting that its release lands on a particularly meaningful date. “We’re releasing our film on the same exact weekend as the original ‘Star Wars’ fifty years earlier,” Levy explained from the stage, adding that the timing wasn’t planned but felt like a dream come true.
Gosling took a moment to reflect on his own history with Disney before the footage rolled, recalling his roots on the network’s Mickey Mouse Club decades earlier. “I owe a lot to Disney,” Gosling told the D23 crowd. “Had they not looked far and wide and come to my hometown, I would not be here today.”
According to those who saw the footage, the teaser opens with newcomer Flynn Gray’s young character sneaking into a rusty spaceship garage and uncovering a hidden ship. Gosling’s Kade catches him in the act, delivering a line dripping with the same swagger fans loved in his ‘Drive’ performance, before revealing the vessel is a decommissioned G17, described as the fastest starfighter ever built.
The footage reportedly leaned heavily into practical ‘Star Wars’ touchstones, including speeder bikes racing across swampy terrain and a brief callback to the iconic bridge from the original trilogy. It’s all set against the backdrop of a sea-filled planet, consistent with earlier images that showed Gosling filming near the Mediterranean.
‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ also boasts a stacked supporting cast that includes Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, and Amy Adams, with a screenplay penned by Jonathan Tropper. The story is set at the furthest point yet explored in the ‘Star Wars’ timeline, deliberately steering clear of any Skywalker family plotlines.
Fan reaction across social media following the reveal has been largely enthusiastic, with many praising the practical, grounded tone of the footage and Gosling’s charismatic screen presence. Given the modest box office performance of Lucasfilm’s most recent theatrical outing, there’s clearly hope riding on Levy and Gosling to reignite momentum for the franchise.
‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ arrives in theaters and IMAX on May 28, 2027, landing on the same Memorial Day weekend the very first ‘Star Wars’ film opened exactly fifty years earlier.
What do you think of Ryan Gosling as Kade Auberon in Star Wars: Starfighter?
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