Ryan Gosling Reveals What Convinced Him To Join ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’

Actor Ryan Gosling is one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood. Although he is best known for romantic comedies like “La La Land” and “The Notebook,” he also revealed more dramatic acting chops in “Blade Runner 2049” and “Drive.” While fans are looking forward to him appearing in “Project Hail Mary,” due in theaters March 20, 2026, “Star Wars” fans are excited to see him appear in a galaxy far, far away in “Star Wars: Starfighter,” which is scheduled for a May 2027 release.

Although the A-list actor has so far stayed out of many franchise films, he will finally be appearing in a galaxy far, far away when “Star Wars: Starfighter” hits theaters next May. While promoting his upcoming sci-fi movie “Project Hail Mary,” he was asked by io9 about what exactly convinced him to join a galaxy far, far away.

In his response, Gosling credited director Shawn Levy, who is still hot off the success of 2024’s “Deadpool & Wolverine.”

“It was Shawn’s enthusiasm and his vision and the script, and I just avoided these things because they never felt right,” Gosling said. “And I’m glad I did because I feel like, [similar to] a book like this, [it was] worth waiting for. And it is like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Not much is currently known about the film, except for its star-studded cast that includes Mia Goth, Flynn Gray, Matt Smith, and Amy Adams. It appears that there was some serious star power going on behind the scenes as well, as Levy told the New York Times in January 2026 that Tom Cruise helped film a scene “involving a lightsaber duel in the water.”

“Last week, Steven Spielberg was here. And now Tom Cruise is wielding a camera, ruining his very nice shoes. Now when you see the movie, you’ll know that part of it was shot by Tom. I mean, how cool is that?” Levy gushed.

Promotional images for the film have shown Ryan Gosling on set with Flynn Gray, who has appeared in TV shows like “Going Dutch” and “Wednesday.” In the interview, Levy explained that his father left the family when he was only three, and did not reunite with him until he was thirteen years old.

“I have never, ever connected it before… But I could never figure out why I kept coming back to these stories of a 13-year-old boy being saved by a man. There was something defining about that moment for me. And with ‘Star Wars,’ I’m doing so again,” Levy revealed.

“My dad called me yesterday and asked me how I’m doing. ‘Is the job stressful? Is it hard?’” he said. “I’m like: ‘Yes, this movie is more stressful and challenging than anything I’ve ever done.’ But also, my 10-year-old self is on set with me every day. That’s how I make movies.”

The Hollywood Reporter caught up with Shawn Levy in January 2026 to talk about the final season of “Stranger Things,” as he executive-produced and directed a few episodes in the last season of the hit Netflix show.

“If I can balance the epic and the intimate the way the Duffers have with Stranger Things, I’ll make a movie and an original and new Star Wars adventure that can be really satisfying to fans and audiences,” Levy said at the time.

“If I’ve learned anything on Stranger Things, it’s that you can get intimidated by the scale of franchise expectation. But you will lose your way if that’s your focus. I’ve learned the need to stay rooted in character, and themes and relationships on screen,” he continued.

“Yes, there’s spectacle and scale, just like Stranger Things. And of course, Star Wars and Starfighter has spectacle and scale and adventure at a level I’ve never done in my whole career,” he added. “But like Stranger Things, it’s also very much anchored in a human scale character-sized story.”