"Doctor Who" Star Matt Smith Has Reportedly Been Cast In Lucasfilm's "Star Wars: Starfighter" As a Villain
Smith was previously cast in a deleted role from "Star Wars: Episode IX."
Way back in August of 2018, Variety reported that Doctor Who star Matt Smith (The Crown, Morbius, House of the Dragon) had been cast in the then-untitled Star Wars: Episode IX. That casting never came to fruition, as Smith’s character was ultimately cut from the J.J. Abrams-directed film, but a new report from a different trade publication says that the actor is working with Lucasfilm once again, having been cast as one of the villains in filmmaker Shawn Levy’s upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter.
What’s happening:
- Deadline has reported that Matt Smith, perhaps best known as the 11th Doctor in Doctor Who, has been cast as a villain in the movie Star Wars: Starfighter, which is due out in 2027 from Lucasfilm.
- Star Wars: Starfighter is being directed by Shawn Levy (Deadpool & Wolverine, Free Guy, The Adam Project) and will star Ryan Gosling (La La Land, Drive, The Notebook). It is the second upcoming Star Wars movie after director Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian & Grogu, which will hit theaters next summer.
- Previously, Matt Smith had reportedly been cast in 2019’s Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker from director J.J. Abrams, though his part was cut before production on the film began.
- The title of Star Wars: Starfighter– and Gosling’s casting, which had previously been rumored– were officially announced at Star Wars Celebration 2025 in Japan this past April.
- Actress Mia Goth (Pearl, X, Infinity Pool) has also been cast in the film.
More Star Wars News:
- After a decade of use, ANA’s Star Wars jets are ceasing operation.
- The video game publisher Electronic Arts has teased numerous Disney-related titles in development, including several set in the Star Wars universe.
- Actor Temuera Morrison wants fans to petition for the return of Boba Fett in live-action after The Book of Boba Fett failed to get picked up for a second season.