The actor has touched down for the much-anticipated, Shawn Levy–directed “Starfighter.”

Ryan Gosling reveals why he avoided franchises for so long but finally caved for a new Star Wars movie

The actor has touched down for the much-anticipated, Shawn Levy–directed "Starfighter."

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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on March 1, 2026 6:40 p.m. ET

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Ryan Gosling in 2024. Credit:

Phillip Faraone/WireImage

Ryan Gosling isn't a big franchise guy — but for *Star Wars*, he made an exception.

The three-time Oscar nominee hasn't totally shied away from roles in blockbusters, nor has he completely avoided starring in big-studio movies. Not too long ago, he was showing off his dance skills as Ken in *Barbie, *and before that Gosling fought his way through *Blade Runner 2049*. But he has otherwise avoided franchises and has yet to play the same character twice.

But now, Gosling is gearing up for a highly anticipated major adventure with Shawn Levy's *Star Wars: Starfighter*, a project that was just too tempting to turn down.

"It was Shawn’s enthusiasm and his vision and the script," Gosling told io9 in a new interview, explaining why he made his first foray into long-running franchise filmmaking.

Thus far, very little is known about the plot of the upcoming *Star Wars* tentpole. Levy has described the movie as a "standalone" project set in "a period of time that we haven't seen explored yet" in the *Star Wars* canon. He has also hinted that the flick will continue his trend of telling stories about fathers and sons (see: *Real Steel, Night at the Museum*, and *The Adam Project*).

Ryan Gosling and Flynn Gray on the set of 'Star Wars: Starfighter'.

Shawn Levy/Instagram

While Gosling didn't shed any more light on what *Starfighter* has in store, he made it clear it was something he refused to miss out on.

"I just avoided these things because they never felt right. And I'm glad I did," Gosling said in the interview, noting that much like his upcoming movie *Project Hail Mary*, the *Star Wars* film was "worth waiting for."

"It is like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," he added.

*Starfighter, *which is due in theaters next year, boasts a script from *Banshee* and *Warrior* creator Jonathan Tropper. In addition to Gosling, the movie features Flynn Gray, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, and Amy Adams, among others. Production concluded in December.

The standalone film is set outside the Skywalker saga and five years after 2019's *Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker*. Whether it will include any familiar faces from elsewhere in the franchise remains a mystery. But regardless, Gosling has praised the installment as "such a great story with great and original characters" and "so much heart and adventure."

Levy echoed this sentiment while speaking to * *last year, noting that making the film was "hard as hell" but worth every second.

Ryan Gosling and Flynn Gray on the set of 'Star Wars: Starfighter'.

"It is surreal and awesome every day walking onto this set, to have made up a new and original *Star Wars* story that is neither a sequel nor a prequel to anything," he said. "I have deep respect and love for this historic legacy, but a chance to do something fresh and original and to do it with Jonathan Tropper, the writer of *The Adam Project*, and with Gosling... It's dream-come-true territory every day."

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*Starfighter *is still far, far away, slated to hit theaters on May 28, 2027. In the meantime, Gosling will rocket into space in a different adventure: *Project Hail Mary*, an adaptation of the Andy Weir sci-fi novel of the same name. The film sees Gosling playing a middle school science teacher–turned– astronaut doing his best to save the world while embarking on an interstellar journey.

*Project Hail Mary *hits theaters March 20, 2026.

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