It’s the crossover no one expected, as the newest Star Wars movie has a fight scene directed by one of the biggest stars in the movie business!
Expectations are high for Star Wars: Starfighter. It’s one of the first big-screen Star Wars outings since The Rise of Skywalker, and is scheduled to follow the anticipated The Mandalorian and Grogu. We don’t know many plot details yet, other than that it revolves around a pack of New Republic pilots rebuilding the galaxy following the events of the Skywalker saga.
Shawn Levy had a hand in the writing and is handling the directing duties, and enjoys playing coy about the film. However, a New York Times piece on the movie had Levy confirming that there will be a lightsaber duel in the film. Oh, and it was directed by Tom Cruise.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the Tom Cruise. As in one of the biggest money-making stars in Hollywood history. It seems Cruise was visiting the set just to check it out and somehow got talked by Levy into operating the camera for a scene.
“Last week Steven Spielberg was here,” Levy told the publication. “And now Tom Cruise is wielding a camera, ruining his very nice shoes.”
The Times described the scene:
“Tom Cruise was up to his ankles in mud and pond water. He wore a look of great concentration as he stooped over a digital camera, trying to frame the perfect shot. Shawn Levy glanced around in slight disbelief. Cruise just wanted to watch, he told them, but Levy, setting up a scene involving a lightsaber duel in the water, suggested the star jump on one of the cameras. He’d meant it as a joke. But there was Cruise, wading into the muddy pond, holding the camera like a pro.”
This is a wild turn on several levels and also a hint as to what could be coming in Starfighter’s plot.
What does this news mean for Star Wars?
Most had assumed that Starfighter would live up to its name, focusing on fighters and pilots. There had been attempts over the years for a project based on Rogue Squadron, a famous pack of Rebel pilots, that would just be about space battles.
The news that there’s a lightsaber duel is intriguing. Perhaps this means Daisy Ridley makes a cameo as Rey, reestablishing the Jedi Order. There’s also the possibility that one character is secretly a Jedi in training and takes part in a fight.
There’s also the question of who the opponent is. The Sith may be destroyed, yet there is always a chance that another sect of Dark Side worshippers will emulate their ways. It could also be a flashback scene, maybe even during the prequel era, or not even Jedi vs Sith, but regular troops using their weapons.
Just the idea of Tom Cruise behind the camera on any movie is amazing, as the actor is known for his frankly insane stunts and has an eye for action. But having it be for Star Wars is even bigger, as Levy himself summed up perfectly.
“Now, when you see the movie, you’ll know that part of it was shot by Tom. I mean, how cool is that?”
Many will agree with Levy and, if nothing else, Disney and Star Wars have the perfect promotional tool of bragging about the involvement of the Hollywood mega star.
Star Wars: Starfighter is set to premiere in theaters on May 28, 2027.