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New reports from Star Wars: Starfighter suggest Rey’s New Jedi Order has become a reality,and even revealed the true identity of Ryan Gosling’s starring character. The Mandalorian & Grogu‘s box office may have been disappointing, but next year’s Star Wars: Starfighter – directed by Shawn Levy and starring the likes of Ryan Gosling, Matt Smith, and Mia Goth – promises to be the relaunch the franchise needs. Set five years after The Rise of Skywalker, it will be our first proper glimpse of the post-sequel trilogy galaxy.
Now, scooper Making Star Wars has shared some major new information about Starfighter. According to MSS, Ryan Gosling’s character is named Cade; a Han Solo-style protagonist who rescues Finn Gray’s mystery child, taking him to the Jedi refuge on Adaria.
From my notes, Ryan Gosling plays Cade, a rogue/Han Solo-style protagonist. Cade escorts a child to the Jedi refuge or academy on Adaria.
— MakingStarWars.net (@MakingStarWars) July 6, 2026
Our hero Cade seems to have a necklace that important in someway.
— MakingStarWars.net (@MakingStarWars) July 6, 2026
Cade comes across more like a Han Solo / pirate / rogue character. Early on, I heard he was the best friend of the father of Gray's character and he had to take the boy to a Jedi planet and Amy Addams was the boy's mom. Some of that seems to have stuck into the final script.
— MakingStarWars.net (@MakingStarWars) July 6, 2026
We Think We Know Who Ryan Gosling’s Cade Really Is
Assuming this report is accurate, it’s pretty easy to guess who Ryan Gosling’s character really is. In the old Star Wars Expanded Universe, the Skywalker bloodline ran on for over a century. Luke Skywalker’s most notable descended at that time was Cade Skywalker, who looks remarkably like Ryan Gosling. Raised as a Jedi, Cade left the order after the latest Jedi-Sith skirmish and became a bounty hunter, smuggler, and pirate – just the kind of “rogue” MSS report from Gosling. If MSS is right, this appears to be the canon version of Cade Skywalker.
Naturally, Gosling’s character unlikely to really be a Skywalker; there’s no evidence Luke ever had any children in the canon Star Wars timeline. But it’s easy to imagine a scenario where Gosling’s Cade riffs on this, appearing as a former Jedi who is gradually drawn back to the light. Note also that the dark side seems to be rising, with Mia Goth’s villain bold enough to attack a Jedi stronghold. The rumor does appear to confirm she too is a lightsaber-wielder, which is perfect for the accomplished horror star.
In the comics, Cade Skywalker was one of the most powerful Force-sensitives of all time; he wielded Force powers that Darth Vader would have envied, successfully bringing people back from the dead. Cade was a wonderfully complex character, a Skywalker who found his heritage overwhelming, and he used drink and spice to try to drive away Luke Skywalker’s Force Ghost. Despite his best efforts, he continually found himself drawn into galactic affairs.
If Ryan Gosling’s character really is based on Cade Skywalker, then we’re dealing with one of the most exciting Star Wars live-action ideas ever. The original character is associated with the hit Star Wars: Legacy comics, which defined the future of the entire galaxy. This was an age when legions of Jedi and Sith waged war once again, and when an unlikely rogue brought the Force back into balance. Gosling is the spitting image of Cade Skywalker, so it makes sense that he’d be picked for such an important role.
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