Matt Smith, known for his stint in House of the Dragon, is set to join Ryan Gosling in the highly anticipated Lucasfilm project Star Wars: Starfighter, with Shawn Levy directing and Jonathan Tropper writing the screenplay. Smith has been tapped for one of the film’s major villain roles, a part secured after an extended casting search, according to sources. While character specifics remain tightly guarded, Smith’s addition marks a significant new adversary for the Star Wars universe.
Production on Star Wars: Starfighter is gearing up for a fall start, with the movie’s theatrical debut planned for May 28, 2027. In addition to Smith and Gosling, the ensemble will feature Mia Goth, whose casting was previously announced at April’s Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo. Director Shawn Levy has described the film as a standalone entry, taking place five years after the events of Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker and thereby continuing past what is currently the endpoint of the saga’s main timeline.
Although Smith was once rumoured for a role in The Rise of Skywalker, this marks his official arrival to the Star Wars galaxy. Lucasfilm and Smith’s representatives have declined to comment on the casting. Elsewhere, Smith is coming off two seasons of HBO’s House of the Dragon and will soon be seen in Darren Aronofsky’s thriller Caught Stealing and the limited series The Death of Bunny Monro.
Ryan Gosling leads the cast of Starfighter, with Mia Goth also set to appear in multiple high-profile projects, including work with Guillermo del Toro and Christopher Nolan. Production, headed by Lucasfilm and director Shawn Levy, will take place in England. The film stands as one of several new Star Wars features in development, alongside projects directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, James Mangold, and Taika Waititi.
