Tom Cruise’s Secret Star Wars BTS: Starfighter Role, Explained

Tom Cruise is one of the biggest movie stars of all time. “Star Wars” is one of the greatest film franchises of all time. Today, the two paths have finally crossed. No, Cruise doesn’t dress up as a Jedi or a smuggler like Han Solo, but he did have a small part to play in the making of “Star Wars: Starfighter”, the new film with Ryan Gosling which will be released in theaters next summer.

In a recent article from New York Times offering a behind-the-scenes look at director Shawn Levy’s new “Star Wars” film, it’s revealed that Cruise, who just won an honorary Oscarstopped by the set to see what Levy and the crew were up to. The visit took place in November and Cruise landed his helicopter on set, with the crew apparently blasting the “Mission: Impossible” theme through the speakers to set the tone.

The story states that Cruise just wanted to watch, but Levy was staging a scene involving a lightsaber duel in the water. The director then jokingly suggested that the “Top Gun: Maverick” star was jumping behind one of the cameras, but before Levy knew it, the Times writer said Cruise “was ankle-deep in mud and pond water. He looked very focused as he leaned over a digital camera, trying to frame the perfect shot.” Levy had this to say about it:

“Now when you see the movie, you’ll know that part of it was shot by Tom. I mean, how cool is that?”

“Last week, Steven Spielberg was here. And now Tom Cruise is brandishing a camera, ruining his very nice shoes,” Levy said elsewhere in the article. I guess it never hurts to have help from a guy like Cruise.

Levy may have been joking, but Tom Cruise took it very seriously. He is not only an adept producer, but a true champion of cinema. It says a lot that he was willing to ruin a nice pair of shoes just to help bring movie magic to life in the “Star Wars” galaxy.

“Starfighter” boasts an impressive cast led by Ryan Gosling (“Barbie)with Matt Smith (“Morbius”), Mia Goth (“X”), Aaron Pierre (“Rebel Ridge”) and Amy Adams (“Arrival”) also on board, among others. This will be the second “Star Wars” film to hit theaters since 2019, following this summer’s “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” which is set in the same universe as the beloved Disney+ TV series.

The difference is that Shawn Levy is the first filmmaker to take the franchise to a new place in quite some time. Even if the details of the plot remain completely secret for the moment, “Starfighter” takes place five years after the events of “The Rise of Skywalker.” representing a completely unexplored location on the overall “Star Wars” timeline.

In the same New York Times article, Levy recalls advice he received from Steven Spielberg: “You direct as if you’re sitting in the audience.” This is something he applies to a galaxy far, far away. “I never forgot it,” Levy said. “For better or worse, I make films the way I would want them to look and sound as if I were sitting in that dark theater.”

Meanwhile, Lucasfilm is in a period of transition, as Kathleen Kennedy set to step down as presidentwith current Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni and Lucasfilm Business President and CEO Lynwen Brennan expected to succeed him.

“Star Wars: Starfighter” is scheduled to hit theaters on May 28, 2027.