STAR WARS: After Being Eyed To Play Palpatine In EPISODE IX, Matt Smith's STARFIGHTER Role Has Been Revealed

STAR WARS: After Being Eyed To Play Palpatine In EPISODE IX, Matt Smith's STARFIGHTER Role Has Been Revealed

Matt Smith was going to play a young (or restored) version of Emperor Palpatine in The Rise of Skywalker before plans changed, but a new report claims to reveal his role in Star Wars: Starfighter...

By JoshWilding - Aug 07, 2025 04:08 PM EST
Filed Under: Star Wars
Source: Jeff Sneider (via SFFGazette.com)

A couple of days ago, the news broke that Matt Smith had been cast in a villainous role in Shawn Levy's Star Wars: Starfighter. The actor was eyed to play a young Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, prompting many fans to wonder whether Darth Sidious might return...again.

Fortunately, Lucasfilm isn't heading in that direction and, according to Jeff Sneider's latest newsletter (via SFFGazette.com), Smith's character will be neither a Sith nor a Dark Side Force user. Instead, he'll have a military background. 

"I'm told that the Force won’t be with Smith, who is playing some kind of military general in the film, which takes place five years after the events of Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker," the insider writes. 

Blade star Mia Goth is also expected to play one of the movie's villains, and it wouldn't be overly shocking if the Force doesn't come into play at all here. The title seems to suggest that Ryan Gosling's character will be a Starfighter pilot, likely working for whatever became of the Resistance and New Republic after The First Order was finally vanquished. 

Smith could be a surviving First Order or Imperial loyalist, though the latter seems unlikely given how much time has passed since Return of the Jedi, when Star Wars: Starfighter begins. 

Sneider has also revealed that the young actor playing the teenager protected by Gosling's character has been cast. Lucasfilm was looking for someone between 14 and 15, and while Adolescence star Owen Cooper and 28 Years Later's Alfie Williams were considered, the decision was ultimately made to cast an unknown. 

Star Wars: Starfighter is expected to help usher in a new era of storytelling set in that post-The Rise of Skywalker timeframe, and what the Galaxy looks like in the wake of Palpatine's final defeat and Rey's quest to build a New Jedi Order should be very interesting.

Rumours persist that Gosling's pilot is transporting the aforementioned teen to Rey, which would go some way in setting up the Jedi's long-delayed solo outing from filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.

"The reality is that this script is just so good. It has such a great story with great and original characters," Gosling said at Star Wars Celebration when it was officially announced. "It’s filled with so much heart and adventure, and there just really is not a more perfect filmmaker for this particular story than Shawn."

Levy added, "This is a standalone. It’s not a prequel, not sequel. It’s a new adventure. It’s set in a period of time that we haven’t seen explored yet."

Star Wars: Starfighter is set to be released in theaters on May 28, 2027.

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Huskers
Huskers - 8/7/2025, 4:08 PM
Zero interest in the Rise of Skywalker universe!
THEDARKKNIGHT1939
THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - 8/7/2025, 4:09 PM
"Which takes place five years after the events of Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker"

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Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 8/7/2025, 4:59 PM
@THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - imaginé we will see a non New Repúblic again playing resistance against some neo nazi empire remanent ...so exciting
harryba11zack
harryba11zack - 8/7/2025, 4:09 PM
hes white
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Typhoon20
Typhoon20 - 8/7/2025, 4:22 PM
@harryba11zack - Only when he's got the mask on.
DarthOmega
DarthOmega - 8/7/2025, 4:16 PM
Disney if you're reading this...

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Aside from Andor, season 1,2 of Mandalorian, and Rogue One Star Wars has taken a beating. I take no joy in seeing a franchise rich with storytelling material go from this...

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To whatever the hell this was...

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I think the brand deserves better.
MisterBones
MisterBones - 8/7/2025, 4:20 PM
Should have set it like 100 years after Episode IX. Get as far away from that era as possible.
Typhoon20
Typhoon20 - 8/7/2025, 4:21 PM
LAME

He could've been a fantastic dark side villain.
F4ntasticClunge
F4ntasticClunge - 8/7/2025, 4:24 PM
He was great in I am Legend

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Dude didn't even need make up 😮‍💨
Lisa89
Lisa89 - 8/7/2025, 5:15 PM
@F4ntasticClunge - Don't you disrespect Dash Mihok!!!
dragon316
dragon316 - 8/7/2025, 4:30 PM
Don’t like starfighter reminds of last starfighter like other title before they changed it forgot name
GeekSmarts
GeekSmarts - 8/7/2025, 4:40 PM
“ The actor was eyed to play a young Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, prompting many fans to wonder whether Darth Sidious might return...again.”

Somehow Palpatine returned…. Again.
HumanRubiksCube
HumanRubiksCube - 8/7/2025, 4:45 PM
whats sad is theres probably some EU prequel story for jack black and lizzos characters written by a SUPER nerd
Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 8/7/2025, 5:01 PM
@HumanRubiksCube - implying Jack Black and Lizzo were rubbing their greasy bodies while Luke was cremating his father after saving the Galaxy.
HumanRubiksCube
HumanRubiksCube - 8/7/2025, 5:05 PM
@Malatrova15 - oh my
NGFB
NGFB - 8/7/2025, 5:06 PM
Dear Star Wars, please stop with Empire vs. Republic stuff, and Sith vs. Jedi stuff. Give us a full on alien invasion like in the old books vs. the Yuuzhan Vong.
MarvelZombie616
MarvelZombie616 - 8/7/2025, 5:09 PM
Yeah aside from The Mandalorian and Grogu Star Wars is dead to me.

This needs to have a great trailer or wom or it will fail.
grif
grif - 8/7/2025, 5:19 PM
keep burning it disney.just keep on burning it

BrainySleep
BrainySleep - 8/7/2025, 5:31 PM
In somewhat related news - Disney and Lucasfilm have settled Gina Carano's lawsuit
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 8/7/2025, 6:03 PM
Interesting if true…

I could see Smith being a First Order loyalist who wants the kid for some reason thus sends Mia Goth’s character to retrieve him while Gosling’s character is a Starfighter pilot (current or former) that’s been tasked to safely deliver this kid who may be force sensitive to Rey & her new Jedi Order though on paper , that does seem a bit similar to Mandalorian so perhaps not.

Another scenario is that Goslings character has taken something that Smith’s apparent military figure wants but the former somehow gets this teenager involved (there’s a rumor that they could be uncle & nephew too) hence they have to go on the run.

Anyway we’ll see but I’m just glad to have Matt Smith on board since I’m a big fan of him as an actor!!.

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TK420
TK420 - 8/7/2025, 6:11 PM
Is that mf from Game of Thrones, Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings? I can't tell them apart...

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