The Star Wars universe is on fire this weekend with Star Wars Celebration 2025 taking place over three days in Tokyo, Japan.
On day 1, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy took the stage to offer updates on season 2 of the Diego Luna-led Disney+ series Andor and upcoming films The Mandalorian and Grogu, which sees the Disney+ series and its beloved stars hop to the big screen, and the just-announced Star Wars: Starfighter, starring Ryan Gosling (Barbie) and directed by Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy.
Andor season 2 leads “right into Rogue One,” Kennedy explained.
“As you start to feel the anticipation of each of the episodes leading into what you know from Rogue One, it’s exhilarating,” she said. “As you’re watching the show, and as it begins to build, it really, really hits you. And then you’ll look at Rogue One with very different eyes, too.”
Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Kathleen Kennedy speak at ‘Star Wars’ Celebration 2025. Christopher Jue/Getty
“I have to tell you guys, it is fantastic,” Kennedy told the crowd of fans. “I mean, it lives up to everything you might be thinking and beyond. And those guys have done an absolutely incredible job. Tony [Gilroy]‘s writing is amazing. Diego is incredible. The crew, everybody, just so good,”
The Mandalorian and Grogu, starring Pedro Pascal and a certain irresistible puppet, sees the titular duo take their act to the big screen after three critically acclaimed seasons on streaming.
“What [director Jon Favreau] has done with this movie is, even if you haven’t seen the series, you’re going to have a great time with this movie, because he’s introducing the characters we know, but he’s also introducing new characters,” she said. “And seeing Baby Yoda up on the big screen, I gotta tell ‘ya, it’s pretty cool.”
Earlier in the day, Kennedy and Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni announced that three-time Oscar-nominated actor Gosling is joining the Star Wars universe with film Star Wars: Starfighter, directed by Levy, whose directing credits, in addition to Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine, also include Free Guy, The Adam Project, and episodes of Netflix’s hit sci-fi series Stranger Things.
“Moving into the future, past episode nine [of the movies], it’s just opening up a whole new world, and Shawn’s coming into this,” Kennedy said. “I can’t think of any director recently that we worked with that is better suited to Star Wars. You’re feeling that with his energy and excitement around what it is he’s doing. He’s just got the perfect attitude around making this a really fun movie.”
Ryan Gosling and Shawn Levy backstage during Star Wars Celebration 2025. Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty
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She laughed about Gosling’s appearance at the fan fest.
“I think you’re seeing, when he came out here, he’s being introduced to all this, and he’s like a deer in the headlights,” she joked. “He’s so excited.”
