Those long-forgotten rumors that Matt Smith would pop up in Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker now feel more like a premonition. The Doctor Who and House of the Dragon star is entering the galaxy far, far away with a role in the Ryan Gosling-starring Star Wars: Starfighter, due in 2027 from director Shawn Levy.

Deadline got the scoop. According to the trade, there are no character details yet, but “sources say he will play one of the villain roles.” It also relates that director Levy met with “a number of actors for this key role,” and Smith was chosen as “the next great villain in the Star Wars universe.”

Star Wars fans will recall that Mia Goth, who joined the cast in June, is also rumored to be playing a villain. Not much is known about the plot of the Jonathan Tropper-scripted film, beyond that it’s a standalone that takes place five years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker, and it features new characters on a new adventure.

Starfighter begins filming this fall, which means more casting news is probably imminent, ahead of a release date of May 28, 2027.

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