'Star Wars: Starfighter' casting news: 'House of the Dragon' star is officially teaming up with Ryan Gosling

18 hours ago 2

Daemon (Matt Smith) in a suit of armor as seen in the "House of the Dragon" season 2 finale

(Image credit: Theo Whiteman/HBO)

The good news keeps coming for "Star Wars" fans — after the exciting announcement that superstar Ryan Gosling would be leading the beloved franchise's upcoming standalone film, "Star Wars: Starfighter," the cast has just gotten an equally exciting, and fiery, addition: "House of the Dragon" star Matt Smith.

The British actor already knows his way around a major genre franchise, from his role as the 11th Doctor in the BBC sci-fi classic "Doctor Who" and Daemon Targaryen in HBO's fantasy drama "House of the Dragon." Now, he'll be joining the "Star Wars" universe, according to a Deadline exclusive, though details on the villain that Smith will reportedly play are scant.

It's a bit of a full-circle moment for Matt Smith, who was originally cast in 2019's "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," though the part didn't make it onscreen. "Starfighter" will take place approximately five years after the events of that 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.

Though he played coy on exactly who he was meant to play in "The Rise of Skywalker,” Smith added, “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.”

Wil Johnson as Vaemond Velaryon, Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen and Theo Nate as Laenor Velaryon in House of the Dragon episode 3

Looks like he'll get another chance to make a mark on the fan-favorite franchise along with Gosling and previously announced cast member Mia Goth in "Star Wars: Starfighter," which will be helmed by Canadian filmmaker Shawn Levy ("Deadpool & Wolverine", "Free Guy").

With a screenplay written by Jonathan Tropper ("Warrior," "Your Friends & Neighbors", "Starfighter" will reportedly not be connected to the nine films that make up the franchise's ongoing Skywalker Saga, and will serve as a standalone film.

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"It’s not a prequel, not a sequel," Levy announced in April at a Star Wars Celebration panel in Tokyo, per The Hollywood Reporter. "It’s a new adventure. It’s set in a period of time that we haven’t seen explored yet."

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Christina Izzo is a writer-editor covering culture, food and drink, travel and general lifestyle in New York City. She was previously the Deputy Editor at My Imperfect Life, the Features Editor at Rachael Ray In Season and Reveal, as well as the Food & Drink Editor and chief restaurant critic at Time Out New York.

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