Most people visiting the set of a new Star Wars movie probably show up in a production van, flash a badge and try very hard not to touch anything expensive. Tom Cruise, naturally, had another idea. When the Mission: Impossible star decided he wanted to visit Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter set, his first logistical question was apparently whether there was enough room nearby to land his helicopter.
Levy laid out the already-ridiculous story in a Rotten Tomatoes Instagram video, explaining that Cruise asked where they were filming and followed it with, “Can my chopper land there?” The answer was yes. So the Mission: Impossible star flew himself over, landed near the production and spent several hours hanging around with the cast and crew. Because, of course, that is how he visits any film set. Seriously, you’ve got to hear this story for yourself.
Somehow, landing a helicopter was only the opening act. Levy previously revealed that the 64-year-old action icon arrived while the crew was shooting a lightsaber fight. The director jokingly suggested that the Top Gun: Maverick star grab a camera, which he apparently interpreted as an actual job offer. Before long, he was standing ankle-deep in mud and pond water trying to frame shots for the sequence. Levy has since confirmed that some footage Cruise shot will actually appear in the finished 2027 schedule release. It’s wild to think this all started with a small gesture as Levy explained:
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I’m trying not to give away too much, but it was pretty simple. I had had dinner with Tom a few nights earlier, and, you know, we say goodbye. And I’m like, ‘Yo, if you ever want to come by the set of Star Wars, you know where to find me.’ Like, it was just a thing you say as you’re walking out of the restaurant. Get a text. ‘Where are you shooting? Can my chopper land there?’ And, so literally, Tom came to visit, spent several hours, and the whole crew — when he stepped on set — it’s already amazing, because you’re making Star Wars. But then you have Tom Cruise hanging out
As previously revealed, the crew reportedly even played the Mission: Impossible theme over the loudspeakers when the Hollywood heavyweight arrived, which is maybe the only appropriate response to seeing Ethan Hunt descend from the sky in real life. This whole story was already legendary, but it gets even better because lead actor Ryan Gosling missed it all.
The Barbie star has said he was on the Starfighter set essentially every day during production, only for Cruise to arrive on one of his rare days off. Gosling later admitted he was still a little salty about the timing, joking that he hoped the longtime theatrical draw choosing that particular day was an accident. Instead of meeting him, Gosling received photos from Levy showing the Mummy veteran and young co-star, Flynn Gray, standing together in the mud.
Imagine calling out of work one day and finding out Maverick himself landed a helicopter in the parking lot, grabbed a camera and helped shoot a lightsaber duel. I would be bringing that up for years. The Minority Report alum was not the only Hollywood heavyweight to stop by. Steven Spielberg also visited Levy during production, and I’m amazed that Starfighter somehow had the director of Jaws and the star of Mission: Impossible casually wandering around set.
The actual movie will see Gosling star alongside Gray, Amy Adams, Matt Smith, Mia Goth and Aaron Pierre. It takes place several years after The Rise of Skywalker and is scheduled to reach theaters on May 28, 2027. Rumors have swirled around Starfighter , as what we know about the film is relatively little. So, naturally, it has us waiting.
I remain giddy, however, over the notion that somewhere in this movie is a lightsaber sequence partially filmed by Tom Cruise after he flew a helicopter onto the set for what was supposed to be a casual visit. All in all, this is a story that’ll be long remembered.
As we patiently wait for Starfighter and Cruise’s lightsaber battle to hit theaters, we can console ourselves by revisiting all of the Star Wars movies and TV shows, which are available to stream in order with a Disney+ subscription.