Lucasfilm brought both sides of the Force to D23. On the streaming front, Lucasfilm President and Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni was joined by Rosario Dawson, Hayden Christensen and Eman Esfandi to debut the first teaser for Season 2 of Ahsoka, which will premiere Jan. 20, 2027 on Disney+.
The new season picks up after the fall of the Empire and during the rise of the New Republic, with Ahsoka Tano continuing to wrestle with what it means to be a Jedi while Grand Admiral Thrawn looms as a growing threat. Rosario Dawson returns as Ahsoka, with Natasha Liu Bordizzo’s Sabine Wren continuing as her apprentice.
The pair remain stranded beyond the known galaxy, attempting to find their way home while Hera, Ezra, Zeb and Chopper face Thrawn and his allies as they move to push the New Republic toward war. Watch the preview below:
For fans who have been waiting to see where Filoni takes the story next, the D23 appearance offered the clearest sign yet that Season 2 will lean heavily into both Ahsoka’s personal journey and the larger threat of Thrawn.
And yes, Hayden Christensen showing up alongside Dawson certainly didn’t hurt the room.
Ryan Gosling heads to a galaxy far, far away
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Lucasfilm then shifted from Disney+ to the big screen.
Director and producer Shawn Levy took the stage to discuss Star Wars: Starfighter, his new theatrical adventure opening May 28, 2027.
Then he brought out Ryan Gosling.
Gosling entered wearing a retro Mickey Mouse Club leather jacket, following a video looking back at his days as a Mouseketeer.
Levy then presented him with a special leather jacket featuring a symbol connected to the new film before the pair screened an exclusive sizzle reel for the D23 crowd.
According to Lucasfilm, Starfighter follows a cynical rogue whose mysterious past suddenly catches up with him, sending him into a dangerous journey across the galaxy and putting him on a collision course with destiny.
Gosling leads an ensemble that also includes Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, Flynn Gray and Amy Adams.
Jonathan Tropper (Lucky) wrote the screenplay.
Levy and Kathleen Kennedy are producing, with Gosling, Dan Levine, Mary McLaglen and Josh McLaglen serving as executive producers.
Lucasfilm keeps one foot in streaming, one in theaters
The two reveals also offered a useful snapshot of Lucasfilm’s current strategy.
Ahsoka continues the interconnected storytelling that has defined much of the Disney+ era of Star Wars, pushing forward characters and mythology rooted in The Clone Wars, Rebels and the post-Return of the Jedi timeline.
Starfighter, meanwhile, seems designed to feel fresher.
Rather than relying on another legacy hero or directly retelling a familiar chapter of the saga, Levy’s film introduces a new protagonist, a new corner of the galaxy and a star in Gosling who brings considerable mainstream appeal.
That makes the pairing particularly interesting.
One project is built for the fans already deeply invested in Filoni’s expanding mythology.
The other has the potential to pull in audiences who simply want to see Ryan Gosling fly a starfighter. Not a bad one-two punch.
Ahsoka Season 2 premieres Jan. 20, 2027 on Disney+.
Star Wars: Starfighter opens in theaters May 28, 2027.
The Geek is a working screenwriter, director and screenwriting instructor.
