‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ finds its villain in Matt Smith

LOS ANGELES : Get ready to see Matt Smith as a villain in ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’. The ‘House of the Dragon’ star will be seen sharing screen space with Ryan Gosling and Mia Goth in the project, as per Variety.

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 has previously worked in “Last Night in Soho,” “Morbius” and “The Crown.” He will soon appear in Darren Aronofsky’s “Caught Stealing” alongside Austin Butler and Zoë Kravitz.

“Star Wars: Starfighter” is set to be released 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.” (ANI)