This year, D23 promoted two of the coolest upcoming Star Wars projects for 2027: Star Wars Starfighter and Ahsoka season 2. It’s been more than three years since Ahsoka season 1 ended, and more than a year since Celebration Japan, where Starfighter was first introduced. With both on the way I really wanted to talk about these two projects, and how they’ll affect the Star Wars landscape.
Star Wars: Starfighter
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This immediately grabbed my attention, mostly via bootleg footage found everywhere on social media the night of D23. I already knew it starred Ryan Gosling alongside Matt Smith, Mia Goth and many more. It’s directed by Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy, and according to Levy, Gosling’s Han Solo-esque pilot is named Kade Auberon. Kade (perhaps based on Cade Skywalker from a century in the future in the Legacy comics from Dark Horse) and Auberon, perhaps a derivation of Oberon, the fairy king from Shakespeare and mythology.
In the bootleg footage you see Kade sauntering into a garage where a kid played by newcomer Flynn Gray (possibly named Ronin), is snooping around: “Didn’t I tell you not to touch anything?” Then comes this kick ass dialogue:
“It’s a decommissioned G-17 Imperial Reaper. Fastest starfighter ever built.”
“Never heard of it.”
“There’s a reason for that..”
The garage is dusty, and we see a starfighter lying under dusty tarps. This is truly the lived-in feeling George Lucas gave us in the original trilogy; the galaxy and its equipment are old, prone to dings, scratches and dust. Next, Kade is walking away from the camera, a huge gun or wrench balanced on his shoulder, but it’s his jacket that warrants attention. It’s an upside down Rebel Alliance symbol with what appears to be two blasters crisscrossed on the bottom rocker panel. Space pirate? Pissed off at the Rebellion? It brings to mind Jyn Erso’s original quote: “this is a rebellion, isn’t it? I rebel.” The ship is also intriguing.
The first few seconds of the sneak peek intrigued the minds of artists all over the world. Gosling’s symbol is already on sketches and homemade posters, buttons and patches, even ones shared on official channels. That will be the new symbol people will be clamoring for next year. The next is the ship, unknown name, an old Imperial starfighter that nobody’s ever heard of. Soon this will be the number one LEGO set for this movie. We don’t know anything about the ship or Kade, but this is an excellent start for our imaginations. I’m looking forward to custom comics, TCG cards and RPG sheets.
The sneak peek continues: a skiff going across water, perhaps what the second picture of Gosling in his Starfighter regalia is from. Another cool LEGO or action figure playset in the future; it looks like a parasail, or something similar with a board. A droid pilots a ship, there’s a huge leap across a moving walkway (bigger than anything Luke has done). And Kade piloting the ship, going very fast.
I’ve heard lots of rumors leading up to this moment. There’s a lightsaber battle in water directed by Tom Cruise, Mia Goth is apparently a lightsaber-trained adversary. Could Matt Smith be her Master, or another First Order officer? Amy Adams rumored to play Mara Jade, Kade taking the kid to a Jedi planet to get trained by Rey Skywalker herself. None of this was confirmed in the trailer. For a first look, I’m intrigued.
Ahsoka Season 2
I enjoyed season 1. The return of Thrawn, all sorts of ex-Jedi, Sabine Wren and Ezra return! We already knew it would be possible, with the Mortis Gods and their statues (can a dead Anakin still take his place among these Gods?) and a Thrawn versus Ackbar throwdown, plus more action on Peridia (trying to get our Jedi home) and galactic war. The big one I want solved involves Starkiller becoming the Son – is this just a rumor?
“Are you a Jedi or not?”
There are more Clone War flashbacks, with a young Ahsoka and her master, Anakin Skywalker. They’re wearing cold weather gear, which makes me think back to Hoth and Empire action figures in the snow. Anakin also makes a Force-Ghost appearance, teaching like a ghostly Obi-Wan and Yoda. Holy crap, there’s a cool new double-bladed lightsaber design and a guy with Darth Bane-esque eye makeup going up against Anakin and Ahsoka!! He’s on the Separatist side – killing Clone troopers and taking on Jedi. His blade isn’t red and corrupted! He can’t be a Sith and doesn’t look like a Nightbrother – who or what is he? The battle itself looks like The Phantom Menace, maybe with Anakin dealing a downward killing blow.
Thrawn declares war, making a speech about taking an oath to defend the Empire. There’s a hallway fight between Dathomir Nightsisters with bows and New Republic troops. Showing the passage of time, Sabine has long hair again and I hope she doesn’t cut it. Her armor has been slightly repainted, probably from those little Noti guys they met last season. Lots of space battles with B-Wings and other starfighters. Ahsoka still appears to be in her Ahsoka The White phase while the two travel across Peridia. She has a vision; Anakin talks about Baylan Skoll (a new actor since the previous Ray Stevenson passed away), saying he talked about a greater power and destiny since the Clone Wars. Zeb and Ezra Bridger meet again, hugging.
Captain Enoch, with his kick-ass helmet, comes back. I’m dying to know his origin: was he a regular Stormtrooper or somebody Thrawn met in his exile? According to the concept art shown and the footage, Enoch has a sword – similar to one that Morgan Elsbeth had in the last season when she died. It has a long hilt and is on green fire: it can also go up against a lightsaber, powered by magic. He’s fighting Ezra Bridger – a pilot and a Jedi, like Luke Skywalker before him. Professor Huyang (David Tennant) goes all Grievous with multiple lightsabers to fight Shin Hati – she’s essentially been left all alone on this planet by her Master (searching for the Mortis Gods and higher meaning) with those bad guy bandits. Huyang is hundreds of years old with lightsaber training – can he defeat her? I think she’s trying to track down her Master as well. Finally, Anakin wants to know Ahsoka’s commitment to the Jedi Order – can she become a Jedi again? She left the order shortly before the Clone Wars ended, rightly feeling betrayed and abandoned her Master to become Darth Vader.
So it looks like we’re getting Ahsoka and Sabine on Peridia, as Master and Apprentice on their own path to get back home. Going up against Baylan Skoll and his search for “peace.” They also have Shin Hati to deal with – has she gone evil? Then there’s the war on the other side of the galaxy with Thrawn and the Imperial Remnant. I would love to see Temeura Morrison make an appearance as Captain Rex. Ezra becomes a New Republic pilot and a Jedi (will he train Hera’s son?). Real Heir to the Empire-type stuff. I wonder how far they’ll go.
This is the future of Star Wars, and I can’t wait!