Photo Credit: Universal
Tom Cruise has joined the Star Wars universe, but not in an acting role. Star Wars: Starfighter director Shawn Levy recently revealed how the acclaimed action star ended up filming a scene for the major blockbuster movie.

How did Tom Cruise end up working on Star Wars: Starfighter?

It’s no secret that Cruise is heavily involved in the production of his movies. In addition to starring, Cruise typically produces his features, allowing him to have a major say over the creative direction of his projects. However, it was a complete accident that Cruise ended up behind the camera on Starfighter, which wrapped production back in December.

Speaking with The New York Times, Levy explained that Cruise was originally just supposed to be one of the many A-list visitors to the set of the next Star Wars movie. “Last week Steven Spielberg was here. And now Tom Cruise is wielding a camera, ruining his very nice shoes,” the director remarked.

Cruise’s set visit took place in November 2025. Levy recalled that the actor only wanted to watch the shoot, which was going to be a lightsaber duel set in the water. However, after Levy joked that Cruise should jump behind one of the cameras, the actor took the joke to heart and waded into the muddy pond, camera in hand.

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

Star Wars: Starfighter was announced by Lucasfilm during Star Wars Celebration Japan 2025. The movie, set five years after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, will reportedly center around an uncle and nephew, played by Ryan Gosling and Flynn Gray, respectively.

Joining Gosling and Gray as part of the Star Wars ensemble are several recognizable names, including Mia Goth, Matt Smith, Aaron Pierre, and Amy Adams. Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, and Daniel Ings are also part of the cast.

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