For fans of that galaxy far, far away, it’s never too early to get excited about a an upcoming Star Wars movie. We’re definitely seeing that with director Shawn Levy’s developing entry into the canon, the Ryan Gosling-fronted Star Wars: Starfighter, as it’s not set to debut until May 2027. Blame it on the charismatic lead jumping into an X-Wing and blow stuff up, as he’s got quite the following. And just when you thought the hype couldn’t get any hotter, leave it to a House of the Dragon star and sci-fi alum to be tapped to play the role of this film’s main villain.
That’s right, folks, get ready for Matt Smith to finally be a part of the Star Wars galaxy, per reporting out of Deadline. Apparently the Deadpool & Wolverine helmer has been seeing candidates for some time now, with the exact role being kept under wraps. However, the grapevine has suggested that executives have selected Smith to become “the next great villain in the Star Wars universe.”
What makes this even more interesting is the fact that Ryan Gosling has worked with the Caught Stealing star before. In fact, Project Hail Mary’s lead actually cast him in his (so far) only writing/directoring effort - 2014’s Lost River. So on top of being fantastic casting, this is a reunion that could yield some pretty spectacular on-screen conflicts.
Of course, right about now is the time when Matt Smith fans like myself remember two huge casting decisions that positioned the Doctor Who alum for what seemed like sci-fi greatness - only for fate to break the other way. On one hand, I’m flashing back to how Smith’s Terminator: Genisys casting as the physical embodiment of Skynet. That was the test case that inspired me to label such examples as “important later on in the trilogy,” as those other movies were never made.
One-upping even that scenario was the time that he was almost cast in another sci-fi saga, perhaps you’ve heard of it… Star Wars? Matt Smith confirmed he was indeed cast in what eventually became The Rise of Skywalker, in a role people are still debating over to this day.
And by “debating,” I mean a lot of folks are convinced he was going to be a Palpatine clone, which became “obsolete” when Ian McDiarmid’s big bad Emperor returned in J.J. Abrams’ Sequel Trilogy capper. Though considering Star Wars: Starfighter is set five years after that picture' s events, perhaps that concept hasn't totally been ditched after all.
Regardless of what the past may have held, the future's looking pretty bright for Ryan Gosling, Matt Smith and Mia Goth's similarly villainous role - as all are looking to make up the marquee core of this Star Wars entry. Prepare to wait for the jump to hyperspace, as Star Wars: Starfighter is set to enter theaters in our galaxy, on May 28, 2027. Meanwhile, Mr. Smith will be appearing in Caught Stealing, which opens in theaters on August 29th.
