‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ Adds Matt Smith in Villain Role

Matt Smith is headed to a galaxy far, far away.

The “House of the Dragon” star has joined the cast of Shawn Levy’s “Star Wars: Starfighter” for Lucasfilm, sources close to the actor confirm. He will appear in a villain role, opposite previously announced cast members Ryan Gosling and Mia Goth. Lucasfilm could not be reached for comment.

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This isn’t Smith’s first brush with the “Star Wars” franchise. The “Doctor Who” alum was previously cast in “The Rise of Skywalker,” but ultimately didn’t appear in the film. “We were close to being in it, but it never quite happened. I think the thing they were thinking of before. Eventually, the part became obsolete and they didn’t need it. So, I never got to be in ‘Star Wars,’” he told the Happy Sad Confused podcast in 2021. He declined to elaborate on the role he would have played (though many suspected he would portray the son of Emperor Palpatine), adding, “It was a really groovy part and concept. It was a big thing, a big story detail. A transformative ‘Star Wars’ story detail. But it never quite got over the line. It was a big shift in the history of the franchise.”

Smith’s additional credits include “Last Night in Soho,” “Morbius” and his Emmy-nominated turn as Prince Philip on “The Crown.” He will soon appear in Darren Aronofsky’s “Caught Stealing” alongside Austin Butler and Zoë Kravitz.

“Star Wars: Starfighter” shoots this fall and is due in theaters on May 28, 2027. Jonathan Tropper wrote the script. He has written prior features for Levy (“The Adam Project,” “This Is Where I Leave You”) and is the creator of the Apple TV+ series “Your Friends & Neighbors.”

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and chief creative officer Dave Filoni officially unveiled plans for “Starfighter” at the annual Star Wars Celebration event in Tokyo this April.

The standalone, which focuses on new characters in the “Star Wars” universe, is set roughly five years after the events of “Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker,” which concluded the Skywalker saga and currently stands as the final feature chronologically on the “Star Wars” timeline.

“Star Wars: Starfighter” marks Levy’s directorial follow-up to Marvel Studios’ hit buddy comedy “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which raked in $1.3 billion at the global box office after releasing in July 2024 and stands as the highest-grossing R-rated feature of all time.

Deadline was first to report the news of Smith’s casting.

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