Director of "Star Wars: Starfighter" Shawn Levy revealed new details about Cade Oberon, Ryan Gosling's character. The character grew up in a modest working-class environment, received no privileges, and was used to making his own way in life. According to the director, when creating Cade, he and Gosling were inspired by S.E. Hinton's novel "The Outsiders" and its film adaptation by Francis Ford Coppola.
"Gosling and I, oddly enough, bonded early on in the script process over 'The Outsiders.' We talked about how that movie captured the essence of characters who are not from privileged backgrounds. They're from the wrong side of the tracks. Our characters in 'Starfighter' are from the wrong side of the tracks of the galaxy."
The director also described Cade in more detail:
"Ryan's character, Cade, is from the wrong side of the tracks of the galaxy, he didn't have a silver spoon in his mouth, he's a little bit cheeky, a little bit working class, he has no privilege, and he goes on an adventure that intersects his destiny with the fastest starfighter ever built."
"Star Wars: Starfighter" takes place five years after the events of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker." According to Levy, the former centers of power have disappeared, and the galaxy has become a lawless space where inhabitants have to rely primarily on themselves:
"It implies the fact that — it's a moment in the galaxy where there is no government, no controller, no order. Everyone is just trying to survive. Everyone has to do what's necessary to survive."
Joining Ryan Gosling in the film are Flynn Gray, Amy Adams, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, and Aaron Pierre. The screenplay was written by Jonathan Tropper, who previously worked with Levy on "Free Guy" and "The Adam Project."
"Star Wars: Starfighter" is scheduled to premiere on May 28, 2027.