Tom Cruise Quietly Helped Film a Lightsaber Duel on the Set of “Star Wars: Starfighter”

Tom Cruise didn’t just stop by the set of Star Wars: Starfighter for a casual visit — he ended up helping shoot the movie.

Director Shawn Levy revealed to The New York Times that Cruise visited the set in November and unexpectedly filmed part of a lightsaber duel. The upcoming Star Wars movie stars Ryan Gosling and is set to hit theaters in May 2027.

According to Levy, the moment was both surreal and hilarious. Cruise showed up planning only to observe, but things quickly escalated. While Levy was preparing a scene involving a lightsaber fight in shallow water, he jokingly suggested that Cruise try operating one of the cameras.

Cruise didn’t hesitate.

Before anyone could stop him, the actor was wading into a muddy pond, water up to his ankles, carefully framing shots like a seasoned cinematographer — even at the expense of his expensive shoes.

Levy recalled that just a week earlier, Steven Spielberg had visited the set as well, making Cruise’s hands-on involvement even more unbelievable.

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

A Fresh Star Wars Story

Star Wars: Starfighter is described as a completely original story set in the galaxy far, far away, separate from the Skywalker saga. While plot details remain tightly under wraps, the cast is stacked.

Alongside Gosling, the film stars Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, and Amy Adams. The screenplay was written by Jonathan Tropper, best known for creating gritty TV series like Banshee and Warrior.

Levy’s No-Nonsense Approach

Levy says his reputation in Hollywood is built on being dependable rather than reckless.

“There’s a type of filmmaker who prides themselves on ignoring budgets and schedules,” he explained. “That’s not me. Studios call me because they know I’ll respect their investment and deliver.”

That reliability paid off in a big way with his last film, Deadpool and Wolverine, which earned $1.3 billion worldwide and became the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time.

Levy is also an executive producer on Stranger Things and directed episodes from the show’s final season.

Big Expectations for a Big Galaxy

With Disney and Lucasfilm backing the project, expectations are high that Levy can bring new energy — and box office success — to the Star Wars franchise.

Star Wars: Starfighter is scheduled to open in theaters on May 28, 2027. And when audiences watch that muddy lightsaber duel, they’ll now know — Tom Cruise was literally behind the camera.