Project Hail Mary isn’t the only upcoming space movie Ryan Gosling will star in. The news broke in 2025 that the Hollywood heartthrob is officially joining the Star Wars franchise with the release of Star Wars: Starfighter. Up until this point, Gosling has done a pretty thorough job of avoiding huge franchises. He’s been in blockbusters like Barbie and Blade Runner 2049, sure, but the A-lister has yet to play the same character twice. In an interview with Gizmodo, Gosling breaks the silence on why he caved for Star Wars.
Apparently, Shawn Levy is what finally convinced Gosling to toss out his “anti-franchise” rule and travel to a galaxy far, far away.
“It was Shawn’s enthusiasm and his vision and the script,” Gosling tells i09 in an interview discussing his upcoming project Project Hail Mary. “And I just avoided these things because they never felt right. And I’m glad I did because I feel like, [similar to] a book like this, [it was] worth waiting for. And it is like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
This is thrilling. Gosling is all in, and it seems to be for factors other than just a paycheck. The Stars Wars universe hasn’t seen a new movie in quite some time. It’s been in a drought since 2019, when The Rise of Skywalker closed the latest trilogy. With two new movies on the horizon, we’re finally back. The drought ends with The Mandalorian and Grogu, which makes its theatrical release on March 22, 2026. Star Wars: Starfighter is fully shot and slated for a 2027 release date.
Ryan Gosling Gives Us Hope For Starfighter
We don’t know much about the Gosling-starring project so far, other than it takes place roughly five years after The Rise of Skywalker. It is written as a standalone story, though knowing Star Wars, that could easily change. I’m choosing to trust Ryan Gosling’s instinct that this movie will be very good.
Star Wars: Starfighter is directed by Levy and Gosling. The film also stars Mia Goth, Flynn Gray, Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings and Amy Adams. We’re so happy that Gosling decided to finally toss out his golden rule against franchises, because Gosling and Star Wars is a fantastic pairing. Until then, the A-lister heads to space early as middle school teacher Ryland Grace. Project Hail Mary lands in theaters on May 20, 2027.