\n<\/p>\n
\n\tMatt Smith is headed to a galaxy far, far away.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe \u201cHouse of the Dragon\u201d star has joined the cast of Shawn Levy\u2019s \u201cStar Wars: Starfighter\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
\n\tThis isn\u2019t Smith\u2019s first brush with the \u201cStar Wars\u201d franchise. The \u201cDoctor Who\u201d alum was previously cast in \u201cThe Rise of Skywalker,\u201d but ultimately didn\u2019t appear in the film. \u201cWe 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\u2019t need it. So, I never got to be in\u00a0<\/em>\u2018Star Wars,’\u201d he told the\u00a0Happy Sad Confused<\/em>\u00a0podcast<\/a> 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, \u201cIt was a really groovy part and concept. It was a big thing, a big story detail. A transformative\u00a0\u2018Star Wars\u2019\u00a0story detail. But it never quite got over the line. It was a big shift in the history of the franchise.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tSmith\u2019s additional credits include \u201cLast Night in Soho,\u201d \u201cMorbius\u201d and his Emmy-nominated turn as Prince Philip on \u201cThe Crown. He will soon appear in Darren Aronofsky\u2019s \u201cCaught Stealing\u201d alongside Austin Butler and Zo\u00eb Kravitz.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cStar Wars: Starfighter\u201d shoots this fall and is due in theaters on May 28, 2027. Jonathan Tropper wrote the script. He has written prior features for Levy (\u201cThe Adam Project,\u201d \u201cThis Is Where I Leave You\u201d) and is the creator of the Apple TV+ series \u201cYour Friends & Neighbors.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tLucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and chief creative officer Dave Filoni officially unveiled plans for \u201cStarfighter\u201d at the annual Star Wars Celebration event in Tokyo this April.<\/p>\n \n\tThe standalone, which focuses on new characters in the \u201cStar Wars\u201d universe, is set roughly five years after the events of \u201cStar Wars: Episode IX \u2014 The Rise of Skywalker,\u201d which concluded the Skywalker saga and currently stands as the final feature chronologically on the \u201cStar Wars\u201d timeline.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cStar Wars: Starfighter\u201d marks Levy\u2019s directorial follow-up to Marvel Studios\u2019 hit buddy comedy \u201cDeadpool & Wolverine,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n \n\tDeadline was first to report the news of Smith\u2019s casting.<\/p>\n