Star Wars: Starfighter has found its villain: Matt Smith to star in the Lucasfilm feature

Star Wars: Starfighter is the forthcoming film in Lucasfilm's Star Wars franchise. Earlier, it was announced that Ryan Gosling will be playing the protagonist, making it his maiden project in the franchise. Since its inception, the space opera epic has gone through several changes.

It has been a while since fans got to see a feature-length film from the world of Star Wars. But that wait is now over. There is another piece of news as House of the Dragon actor Matt Smith has been roped in to play the villain. Here are all the details about his casting

Matt Smith joins the cast of Star Wars: Starfighter

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Deadline reported that Matt Smith has been cast to play the antagonist in the upcoming film Star Wars: Starfighter. The film is being directed by Shawn Levy, while Jonathan Tropper is the writer. Besides Smith, it will also star Ryan Gosling and Mia Goth.

The shooting is expected to start in the fall of this year, and it is slated to be released theatrically on May 28, 2027. Smith's name was finalized after Levy met with several potential candidates. The studio executives eventually zeroed in on the English actor.

Star Wars: Starfighter will take place five years after the events of 2019's Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker. The latter had ended the Skywalker Saga and remains the last feature film in the franchise. The project was announced back in April during the Star Wars Celebration ceremony in Tokyo.

The franchise began in 1977 with George Lucas-directed space epic Star Wars, also known as A New Hope. Its success led to a sequel titled The Empire Strikes Back, which was released in 1980. The original trilogy concluded with 1983's Return of the Jedi. More than a decade later, the franchise was resurrected with a prequel trilogy that started with 1999's The Phantom Menace. It was followed by 2002's Attack of the Clones and 2005's Revenge of the Sith. Lucas then stepped down from the director's chair and sold Lucasfilms to Disney.

After that, a sequel trilogy took place between 2015 and 2019 with films like The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. The franchise also consists of several television and streaming shows, including The Clone Wars, The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett.