The galaxy far, far away is set to expand, thanks to Star Wars: Starfighter, which is set to soar into theaters as part of the 2027 movie schedule. Set five years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker, the film will see Ryan Gosling play a new character named Kade Auberon. There was considerable excitement when Gosling’s involvement was announced, and I’m not sure there are many people who doubt he can lead a massive movie at this point in his career. Still, Levy’s take on why he’s the right man for the job is making me chuckle.
Levy has been able to say much about the nature of his Star Wars movie, though he’s gradually starting to open up about his approach to the flick. Something that’s been very apparent is just how much he believes in his lead actor. He and Gosling recently appeared at Disney’s D23, where they shared some new details about the film and debuted some footage. Afterwards, Gosling sat down with Fandango (as seen on YouTube) and was asked about why Gosling was the “perfect” actor to head up this film, leading him to say:
Well, I feel like why is Ryan Gosling the perfect actor for every movie? Let’s do a drama. Ryan Gosling. Let’s do a comedy. Ryan Gosling. Let’s do a romance. Ryan Gosling. Let’s do action. Ryan Gosling…. Starfighter is all of those things. There is romance and humor and drama and huge action adventure and there’s just very few actors who have the depth and the authenticity to be believable and real in every moment but are also sort of gloriously entertaining and funny and charming. And I just think this guy is incredible, and this collaboration has really become an incredible sort of brotherhood.
Some may think Levy is gushing too hard over Gosling, but his assessment of his skills isn’t wrong. First and foremost, Gosling has played a wide range of roles, including an empathetic (and drug-addicted) school teacher, an unconventional private eye and a self-serious doll who comes to understand the patriarchy. And, with each of those characters and others, Gosling goes all in, never phoning in any aspect of a performance. Such commitment is definitely appreciated, and I’m eager to see how that applies to (the standalone) Starfighter.
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Of course, a person also can’t talk about Ryan Gosling without highlighting his natural magnetism. The actor just has a high level of natural charm, which even shines through when Gosling’s acting with a puppeteer portraying an alien that looks like a rock. Amid his interview, Levy went on to joke about Gosling’s level of cool and how he’s sought to learn those ways himself:
Sometimes I’m like, ‘Can you teach me how to be cool? Like, why are you so cool?’ …. I have to work so hard to be cool. He’s got this kind of, like — he lets the game come to him. You know what I’m saying? It’s laid back, chill cool. I tried it, it doesn’t work. But, for him, it works.
That cool factor was apparent at D23, where Gosling appeared on stage and sported a sweet jacket with a flipped Rebel Alliance logo that resembled a skull and crossbones. Also, the name Kade Auberon (which fans have a Legends-related theory about) is also quite cool. Details on Auberon’s journey within the film are scarce, but he’s been described as “a guy from the wrong side of the galaxy,” who becomes inexplicably tied to the fastest starfighter in the galaxy.
I’m curious as to what Shawn Levy has planned for Starfighter, which apparently draws some inspiration from The Outsiders. What I have no doubt of, though, is that Ryan Gosling will bring his A-game when playing the lead role. Check him out when the film opens on May 28, 2027 and, in the meantime, stream other Star Wars movies using a Disney+ subscription.