41 years ago, The Last Starfighter blazed a new trail on the big screen, showing off digital special effects that moviegoers had never seen before. The film went on to become a cult hit, but a sequel never materialized…until now, when one of the film’s original creators has returned to rocket the franchise back into outer space. However, don’t expect this sequel to hit the silver screen.

According to a new article on CBR, the sequel will come in the form of a new comic book, which will be spearheaded by the film’s original screenwriter, Jonathan Betuel (My Science Project), and 27th Hour founder Paul Davidson, a longtime fan of the film. It will be written by Deric A. Hughes and Benjamin Raab, who’ve written for The Flash, Warehouse 13, and Quantum Leap, with art by Willi Roberts and colors by Francesco Segala. It will be published by Mad Cave Studios, which has also published series based on Flash Gordon, Dick Tracy, and Speed Racer. The comic is expected to hit shelves some time later this year.

What Is ‘The Last Starfighter’ About?

Teenager Alex Rogan (Lance Guest, Jaws: The Revenge) is a whiz at the arcade game Starfighter: in fact, he’s the best in the world, achieving a record high score. Soon, he’s summoned to meet the game’s designer, Centauri (Robert Preston, The Music Man), who reveals the secret of Starfighter; Centauri is an alien, and he designed Starfighter to find a pilot capable of defending his people from a hostile force, the Ko-Dan Empire. To keep his disappearance a secret from his girlfriend (Catherine Mary Stewart, Night of the Comet) and family, the aliens dispatch a robot double to Earth to take his place; hilarity ensues. Meanwhile, Alex befriends the alien Grig (Dan O’Herlihy, Halloween III: Season of the Witch) as he rockets into battle against the Ko-Dan. The film also features small roles for future Star Trek stars Wil Wheaton (The Next Generation) and Marc Alaimo (Deep Space Nine).

The Last Starfighter was directed by Nick Castle; he began his career as a stunt performer, famously portraying Michael Myers in Halloween, and later transitioned to directing features like The Boy Who Could Fly, Dennis the Menace, and Mr. Wrong. The Last Starfighter was not a hit at the box office, but found its audience on home video, becoming a cult classic.

A comic book sequel to The Last Starfighter will be released later in 2026.

via Collider