Somewhere between the iconic hits and the obscure hidden gems of 1980s sci-fi falls 1984’s “The Last Starfighter,” a box office bomb at the time that found a sizable fandom over the years. It follows a teenager (Lance Guest) who finds out that the arcade game he plays is secretly a recruitment test for a space war, and upon getting a high score in that game, is offered the chance to join the intergalactic battle.

“The Last Starfighter” flopped upon release but eventually gained a big enough following to warrant interest in making a sequel with names like Seth Rogen and even Steven Spielberg attached. Unfortunately, the writer of the movie, Jonathan R. Betuel, retains all rights to the property and is vehemently opposed to future film installments. With that in mind, the entertainment world was shocked to learn in September 2025 that “The Last Starfighter” would be among the movies to have a sequel released 20 years after the original. Only in this case, this followup isn’t another film. Instead, the franchise is continuing in comic book form. 

While Jonathan Betuel may not want another “Last Starfighter” movie, he’s thoroughly excited for the upcoming comic continuation and is even a lead creator on the series. Produced under indie comic book publisher Mad Cave Studios, the followup is due to be released sometime in 2026. While exact story and character details have yet to unveiled, it is teased to be taking place some time after the events of the movie and within the same continuity. 

Among other names in the creative team include co-producer Paul Davidson, and writers Deric A. Hughes and Benjamin Raab — the latter two being known for their work in the CW’s Arrowverse as well as the 2022 revival of “Quantum Leap.” Noted comic artists Willi Roberts and Francesco Segala are lined up to handle the visual side of things. 

While obviously not as prevalent as movies based on comic books, properties beginning life on the screen before continuing in comic form is not unheard of, and “The Last Starfighter” is yet another example of that. This isn’t even the first time that “The Last Starfighter” had a comic book presence, as a three-part limited series retelling the events of the film was issued by Marvel in the year of its original release.