British actor Matt Smith is reportedly set to enter the Star Wars universe, taking on a major villainous role in the upcoming film Star Wars: Starfighter, directed by Shawn Levy (Deadpool & Wolverine).
While Lucasfilm has yet to confirm the casting, multiple industry sources including Deadline report that Smith will play a key antagonist opposite Ryan Gosling’s lead character in what’s being billed as a standalone spacefaring adventure.
Known for iconic roles such as the Eleventh Doctor in Doctor Who, Prince Philip in The Crown, and more recently Daemon Targaryen in HBO’s House of the Dragon, Smith certainly has the star power needed for a major franchise film.
Star Wars: Starfighter quick links
Star Wars: Starfighter – What we know so far
Star Wars: Starfighter is the first feature film in the franchise to take place after The Rise of Skywalker (2019), with its timeline set five years after the events of the Skywalker saga’s conclusion.
Directed by Levy and written by The Adam Project scribe Jonathan Tropper, the film is said to feature an entirely new cast of characters and tell a standalone story within the Star Wars universe.
Mia Goth, who recently made waves in A24’s Pearl and Infinity Pool and will star in Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein, has already been confirmed to play the film’s main antagonist – a rumoured leader of a group of dangerous space marauders with her sights set on Gosling’s character and his young nephew.
Ryan Gosling was confirmed to be part of the cast in April this year. He will star as a fighter pilot navigating uncharted territories of both space and morality.
Smith’s role is being described so far as a ‘key villain’ in the story, though it remains unclear whether he is aligned with Goth’s character or part of a separate threat.
Matt Smith’s sci-fi resume beyond Star Wars: Starfighter
Smith was originally eyed for a role in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (AKA Episode IX).
As reported in The Playlist: Smith confirmed on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that while he was indeed approached to appear in The Rise of Skywalker, the role never progressed to the filming stage.
According to him, the part was a ‘big thing’, a major narrative pivot for the Star Wars franchise that was ultimately scrapped before production.
‘No, I didn’t [shoot any scenes],’ Smith said. ‘We were close to me being in it and then it never quite happened. I think the thing they were thinking of me for, eventually it became obsolete and they didn’t need it, and so, I never got to be in Star Wars – there we are.’
While he declined to name the specific character he was meant to portray, Smith strongly hinted that it would have been a significant addition to the saga’s lore.
When asked directly whether he had been cast as Emperor Palpatine’s son (a rumoured plot point) Smith dodged the question with a wry, ‘I could not possibly say.’
Beyond Doctor Who and House of the Dragon, Smith has previously appeared as the villainous Milo in Morbius, and as the T-5000 in Terminator Genisys.
The future of Star Wars
Star Wars: Starfighter is slated to begin production in the UK later this year, with a theatrical release planned for 28 May 2027. The film will follow The Mandalorian & Grogu, set to hit cinemas in May 2026, and is part of a broader revitalisation of Star Wars feature filmmaking at Lucasfilm.
Additional projects in the works include James Mangold’s Dawn of the Jedi, Taika Waititi’s untitled Star Wars film, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s New Jedi Order starring Daisy Ridley, and a rumoured trilogy from X-Men and Star Wars Rebels producer Simon Kinberg.
While Lucasfilm has not yet issued an official statement regarding Matt Smith’s involvement, the buzz surrounding Star Wars: Starfighter continues to build.
Star Wars: Starfighter is expected to premiere in Australian cinemas on 28 May 2027.
