The world of Star Wars is growing, and it's combining fandoms thanks to its actors. The Doctor is taking a step to the Dark Side in an upcoming project.
After starring roles in House of Dragons and Doctor Who, Matt Smith is joining a galaxy far, far away. Deadline has reported that the English actor is joining Ryan Gosling in Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: Starfighter.
Shawn Levy has signed on to direct the upcoming Star Wars movie, which is penned by Jonathan Tropper who recently wrote Apple TV’s Your Friends and Neighbours and Ryan Reynolds' The Adam Project. Pearl star Mia Goth is also on board to star in the film and is rumoured to be playing another villain. The film is reportedly starting to shoot this fall.
Although Lucasfilm and reps for Smith could not be reached for official comment, sources told the outlet he is set to play a villain. Starfighter is set to take place five years after the events of Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker. Although Levy considers this a standalone movie, the timeline update would make it the final feature chronically in the Star Wars timeline.
According to Daniel RPK, Star Wars: Starfighter will reportedly follow “a 15-year-old boy on a mission with his uncle (Ryan Gosling) as they’re being pursued by a duo of villains.” There have been no official news on the plot or who Gosling is set to play.
Casting rumours went wild after the film was announced. Anora star and recent Oscar-winner Mikey Madison allegedly turned it down. Daniel RPK has also revealed that Jesse Plemons and Jodie Comer were all offered villain roles, but declined. He also claimed that Succession actress Sarah Snook and Past Lives star Greta Lee declined roles in the sci-fi film.
This is not the first time Smith has been connected with the Star Wars franchise. He was connected to a role in 2018, which was rumoured to be a young Palpatine (original actor Ian McDiarmid ultimately returned as Palpatine).
When Josh Horowitz asked Smith on the Happy Sad Confused podcast about the rumor, Smith was cagey about the casting. “But it was a pretty groovy thing, it was a really groovy part and concept. It was a big thing, it was a big story detail, a transformative Star Wars story detail, and it never got quite over the line,” the 11th Doctor said.
Smith will next be seen in the upcoming Darren Aronofsky film Caught Stealing, alongside Austin Butler and the limited series The Death of Bunny Monro. His CV also includes Morbius and Edgar Wright's Last Night in Soho.
Star Wars: Starfighter currently has a May 28, 2027, release date. If you are having Star Wars withdrawal, the next instalment in the sci-fi franchise is The Mandalorian and Grogu, which is expected in cinemas some time in 2026.