Kathleen Kennedy Told Shawn Levy to Avoid Legacy Star Wars Characters in Starfighter

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Director Shawn Levy says his new Star Wars film, Starfighter, will be a fresh take on the franchise. He emphasizes that the decision to avoid using existing Star Wars characters wasn’t his idea – Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy specifically asked for a story that doesn’t rely on familiar faces.

Shawn Levy revealed to Vanity Fair that he’s wanted to direct a Star Wars film ever since Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012. While waiting to hear about the opportunity, he focused on other projects, including Free Guy, Stranger Things, and Deadpool & Wolverine.

Shawn Levy shared how Kathleen Kennedy influenced his approach to STAR WARS: STARFIGHTER:

I was asking who or what this new project connected to – was it a prequel, a sequel? And she just said, ‘You decide! Make it feel like your films.’ It was amazing – she basically gave me total creative freedom, and it was incredibly empowering.

— Star Wars – The Direct (@StarWars_Direct) November 25, 2025

In August 2022, Levy finally received the long-awaited phone call to adventure.

Kennedy told me she wanted a Star Wars movie, and I naturally asked which story it would fit into – whether it was before or after existing films. Her response was amazing: she said I could choose any story and make it feel like one of my own. It was a really freeing opportunity.

If that sounds eerily familiar, there’s a reason for that.

Free Guys

While promoting The Acolyte, Kathleen Kennedy shared with The New York Times that after reviewing an initial script in 2019, she told showrunner Leslye Headland she’d created a strong Star Wars story, and then encouraged her to make it uniquely her own. Unfortunately, the final series became one of the most critically panned shows in streaming history.

As a big movie fan, it’s interesting to think about how Kennedy gave both Levy and Headland pretty much free rein to make their films as long as they felt true to their own styles. But looking back, Levy had already built a solid reputation, unlike Headland. And despite all the buzz about how much money Deadpool & Wolverine cost, fans clearly loved it, which shows he knows what he’s doing.

Giving Sharmeen Levy creative control over a Star Wars film demonstrates a significant amount of trust from Kathleen Kennedy. Kennedy didn’t just let Levy pick a story and time period; she actively supported him in developing a completely new direction with original characters.

The new film, Starfighter, is set five years after The Rise of Skywalker, which opens the door for characters from the previous movies to return. However, Kathleen Kennedy, the film’s producer, has hinted that this might not happen.

No One We’ve Seen Before

In an interview with The Playlist podcast, Levy mentioned that Kathleen Kennedy has advised him to focus on new stories and avoid using established Star Wars characters.

He explained that whenever he suggests using a character from a previous film, the response is always the same: ‘People are familiar with that character, so let’s create something original instead.’

Somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea#Starfighter

— Shawn Levy (@ShawnLevyDirect) September 17, 2025

It’s natural to wonder if fans are hoping to see mostly new faces in the upcoming Starfighter film. The cast includes Ryan Gosling, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Amy Adams, and other well-known actors. The possibility of Amy Adams playing Mara Jade, a significant character from Star Wars history, generated a lot of buzz – and some concern – among fans. Rumors about Daisy Ridley returning as Rey also caused a bit of worry.

The recent push for fresh stories suggests that neither Mara Jade nor Rey will be featured in the upcoming Starfighter project. It’s unclear whether this means Kathleen Kennedy wants to distance the franchise from the divisive sequel trilogy, or if she intends to overhaul much of what fans loved about Star Wars, keeping only the brand name.

Fans will find out May 28, 2027, when Star Wars: Starfighter makes its theatrical debut.

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2025-11-29 21:57