Doctor Who’s Matt Smith has been Cast as Villain in Upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter

Matt Smith Joins the Dark Side in Upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter Film

Get ready to see Matt Smith trading in his sonic screwdriver for a lightsaber, because the former Doctor Who star is officially joining a galaxy far, far away. Smith has been cast as the villain in the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter movie, a major addition to Lucasfilm’s next wave of theatrical releases.

Related: Star Wars: A New Hope Returns to Theaters for 50th Anniversary

First reported by Deadline, Smith was selected after a series of meetings with director Shawn Levy, who is helming the film. Best known for his run as the Eleventh Doctor and more recently as Daemon Targaryen in HBO’s House of the Dragon, Smith is no stranger to playing intense, complex characters—and it sounds like this mysterious antagonist will be no exception.

What We Know About Star Wars: Starfighter

Star Wars: Starfighter is shaping up to be a major cinematic event. The film is set five years after The Rise of Skywalker and is part of the continuing post-Skywalker saga. Ryan Gosling was previously announced as the film’s lead, with rising horror star Mia Goth also attached to the cast.

The script comes from Jonathan Tropper, and while plot details are being kept tightly under wraps, the title and casting hint at an action-heavy story centered on high-speed space combat and personal conflict. Think Top Gun, but in space—with a Sith twist.

Production is slated to begin this fall, and the film is set for release on May 28, 2027, making it the first theatrical Star Wars release since 2019.

A Force-Filled Future for Star Wars

Starfighter is just one piece of Lucasfilm’s expansive cinematic puzzle. One month before its debut, Star Wars: A New Hope will return to theaters for its 50th anniversary on April 28, 2027, setting the nostalgic tone.

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Other projects in the pipeline include:

• The Mandalorian and Grogu, releasing May 22, 2026
• A Rey-centered sequel directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, set 15 years after Rise of Skywalker
• A James Mangold-directed origin story about the Force
• A crossover epic from Dave Filoni set between The Mandalorian and The Force Awakens
• A new trilogy in development by Simon Kinberg

The Force, it seems, is strong with the next few years of Star Wars storytelling—and with Matt Smith stepping in as a villain, we’re expecting drama, darkness, and a whole new kind of chaos in the galaxy.

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