Project Hail Mary has convinced me to start getting excited for Star Wars: Starfighter

Project Hail Mary blew me away. Going in, I didn't know much about the big-budget sci-fi movie, aside from the fact that it was based on a novel by The Martian author Andy Weir, there was an alien involved, and, crucially (for me, anyway), it starred Ryan Gosling.

I liked the film so much I awarded it 4-stars in my Project Hail Mary review, and, afterwards, I got to thinking about another upcoming, major sci-fi film starring Gosling – Star Wars: Starfighter.

As a lifelong, massive Star Wars fan, I was naturally already curious about Starfighter, which is arriving in 2027, hot on the heels of this year's The Mandalorian and Grogu. I judged it too early to get truly excited, however, since we still know hardly anything about the film, and there's a long way to go until we can expect more than the mysterious first-look images shared so far. Project Hail Mary, however, convinced me it was time to start getting excited.

To the stars

Starfighter has a lot riding on its shoulders. It's the first Star Wars movie to go beyond the Skywalker Saga and feature a completely new cast of characters, and it's set to be only the second Star Wars movie since 2019. Throw Star Wars' recent struggles with disinterested audiences and streaming oversaturation into the mix, and the film is facing something of an uphill battle.

When news broke that Ryan Gosling would take the lead role, I started to get invested – Gosling was already one of my favorite actors, and, while he's been a steady, beloved presence on the big screen for years, it's undeniable that Barbie (and his delightful Kenergy) has given him a huge jolt of popularity.

Enter Project Hail Mary, which is a fun, big-budget, sci-fi blockbuster aimed at audiences of all ages, much like what I expect from Starfighter. It also, of course, sends Ryan Gosling to space… just like Starfighter.

More importantly, though, Project Hail Mary is split into two timelines, and, in one of them, Gosling is the only human character on-screen: the plot follows his character's attempts to save Earth's sun, with help from an adorable alien named Rocky. Watching Gosling effortlessly anchor all that screen-time solo, with only a (very lovable) puppet at his side, made me realize that he'll have no trouble at all in the Star Wars universe – where funny little puppet guys and space missions abound.

He won't be alone in Starfighter, either. While the plot is still a mystery, we do know Gosling is co-starring with young actor Flynn Gray, and the rest of the line-up includes the likes of Matt Smith, Amy Adams, and Mia Goth, with Smith and Goth set to play the film's villains. That's an impressive cast indeed, and one I'm sure will only elevate the film.

High hopes

Of course, Project Hail Mary is a different type of sci-fi flick to what I expect from Starfighter. Star Wars has always been heavier on fantasy elements (like the Force itself, or the World Between Worlds) than hard sci-fi, while Project Hail Mary is firmly grounded in science, experiments, and discovery – and it's also set in our own galaxy (the star the film revolves around, Tau Ceti, is in fact a real star, and it's even visible from Earth).

But, Project Hail Mary has a spirit of fun and adventure that I expect from almost any Star Wars project, including Starfighter – the title alone suggests we're in for a ride of some kind. Project Hail Mary also has a big old heart in the beautiful bond between Gosling's scientist, Ryland Grace, and Rocky, which is another thing I'm expecting (and hoping) to see in every new Star Wars release. Seeing all of these aspects come together so wonderfully in Project Hail Mary has only boosted my belief that Starfighter could turn out to be something special, too.

So, while we still know hardly anything about Starfighter, I'm choosing to treat Project Hail Mary as proof of concept that the new Star Wars movie will prove to be a worthy entry into the saga – and one that will blow me away, too.

Project Hail Mary is in theaters now, while Star Wars: Starfighter arrives on May 28, 2027. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows.