Ryan Gosling says major franchise fare "never felt right" until Star Wars: Starfighter: "It is like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity"

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We will soon see the actor in a galaxy far, far away

Ryan Gosling and Flynn Gray in Star Wars: Starfighter
(Image credit: Shawn Levy)

Ryan Gosling has revealed the reason why he avoided big Hollywood franchises until Star Wars: Starfighter came along. The actor, who during his adult career has stayed away from big superhero and action sagas, is set to star in the upcoming Star Wars film directed by Shawn Levy.

"It was Shawn's enthusiasm and his vision and the script," Gosling told io9. "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."

Perhaps this one felt right for the Barbie star because it's set to have its own story and group of characters, with writer Jonathan Tropper recently confirming that it will include "no legacy characters" in the story. "You're not going to see any of the characters you've seen in the other movies," he added.

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Lucasfilm has also confirmed that Star Wars: Starfighter will be set after the events of The Rise of Skywalker on the Star Wars timeline.

With the plot yet to be unveiled, Gosling will be joined by newcomer Flynn Gray, House of the Dragon's Matt Smith, Pearl's Mia Goth, Lanterns' Aaron Pierre, and Arrival's Amy Adams.

Back in November, Levy said his Star Wars film "inherits legacy themes," but is "really trying" to be "something fresh, something new" compared to previous installments.

"It is different in that it is an all-new non-sequel, non-prequel adventure," he explained. "It's new characters, it's a new timeline. It inherits legacy themes, but it's really trying to give Star Wars [fans] – and just movie audiences – something fresh, something new. And with a spirit of play and big-hearted adventure with moments of real levity that, frankly, A New Hope had in a revolutionary way."

Levy added: "But it's a huge, invigorating opportunity because Lucasfilm has been so encouraging of me doing something new. There's no pressure to be derivative or limited by an obligation to what came before. There's just a love of what came before."

Star Wars: Starfighter is set for release on May 28, 2027. For more, check out our guide to upcoming Star Wars movies and the Star Wars timeline.

Mireia Mullor
Mireia Mullor
Contributing Writer

Mireia is a UK-based culture journalist and critic. She previously worked as Deputy Movies Editor at Digital Spy, and her work as a freelance writer has appeared in WeLoveCinema and Spanish magazines Fotogramas, Esquire, and Elle. She is also a published author, having written a book about Studio Ghibli's 'Kiki's Delivery Service' in 2023. Talking about anime and musicals is the best way to grab her attention.

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