“Every day it’s hard as hell, but it’s dream-come-true territory every day,” Shawn Levy tells EW.

Star Wars: Starfighter director talks franchise references in his past work, confirms film is ‘neither a sequel nor a prequel’

"Every day it's hard as hell, but it's dream-come-true territory every day," Shawn Levy tells EW.

By Nick Romano

Nick Romano is a senior editor at ** with 15 years of journalism experience covering entertainment. His work previously appeared in *Vanity Fair*, Vulture, IGN, and more.

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November 10, 2025 7:00 a.m. ET

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Ryan Gosling and Flynn Gray on the set of 'Star Wars: Starfighter'. Credit:

Shawn Levy/Instagram

For Shawn Levy, the director who recently gave us *Deadpool & Wolverine*, "*Star Wars* has always been the defining influence on my filmmaking sensibility," he tells **. "It always was. It always will be."

In his time-traveling sci-fi actioner *The Adam Project* (2022), there's a scene in which Ryan Reynolds, Zoe Saldana, and Walker Scobell drive a truck through a forest as they're chased by armored gunmen on hover boards. It's highly reminiscent of the Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) speeder chase on Endor from 1983's *Return of the Jedi*.

"Also in *Adam Project*, Ryan Reynolds has that staff that basically is a little bit like a lightsaber," Levy points out of the finale battle sequences.

Shawn Levy promotes 'Stranger Things' in Los Angeles on Nov. 8.

Savion Washington/FilmMagic

Shawn Levy shares new look at a seafaring Ryan Gosling in 'Star Wars: Starfighter'

Amy Adams, Aaron Pierre, more join Ryan Gosling for 'Star Wars: Starfighter' as production begins

Now Levy gets to make an actual *Star Wars* movie with a script written by Jonathan Tropper of *The Adam Project*. The filmmaker is currently on break from shooting *Star Wars: Starfighter* to promote the final season of *Stranger Things*, for which Levy serves as executive producer and frequent director.

The upcoming movie is described as a standalone installment of the franchise, starring another famous Ryan (Gosling), as well as Flynn Gray, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, and Amy Adams.

"It is surreal and awesome every day walking onto this set, to have made up a new and original *Star Wars* story that is neither a sequel nor a prequel to anything," Levy says. "I have deep respect and love for this historic legacy, but a chance to do something fresh and original and to do it with Jonathan Tropper, the writer of *The Adam Project*, and with Gosling. Every day it's hard as hell, but it's dream-come-true territory every day."

Ryan Gosling and Flynn Gray on the set of 'Star Wars: Starfighter'.

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*Star Wars: Starfighter* is currently scheduled to release in theaters on May 28, 2027, but Levy is currently saying goodbye to *Stranger Things*, a show he's worked on for the last decade as a producer and director. Traditionally, he directs the third and fourth episode of each season, but for the fifth and final, he helmed episode 6 and co-directed episode 7 (the penultimate) with series creators Matt and Ross Duffer.

"Saying goodbye to this show is different than saying goodbye to any movie I've ever made," Levy comments. "It's bittersweet and it's goodbye, but this show — even without touching the fact that it changed my life, it changed the life of my company 21 Laps — impacted culture in a way that is so ubiquitous and durable. It is literally what you dream of if you are interested in populous storytelling, which, as you know, this is what gets me up in the morning."

*Stranger Things* season 5, Volume I — consisting of the first four episodes — will premiere on Netflix Nov. 26. Volume 2, bringing with it episodes 5-7, will debut on the streamer Christmas Day. The series finale will then be released simultaneously in select theaters and on Netflix New Year's Eve.**

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Movies”