- Ryan Gosling is in talks to join a galaxy far, far away
- The Barbie star will join director Shawn Levy
- Not much is known about his new Star Wars film
Ryan Gosling may be swapping Ken’s fractured ego for a lightsabre as he circles a new Star Wars movie from director Shawn Levy.
The news was first floated by The Hollywood Reporter in late January and marks a major development in Levy’s as-yet-untitled film. If true, it’ll also mark a key career move for Gosling. Over the years, he’s managed to swerve roles in many big-budget tentpole franchises from Marvel, DC and – until now – Lucasfilm.
Read more: Will there be a Skeleton Crew season 2?
Levy has been developing his Star Wars movie since late 2022 but little is known about it. The filmmaker previously made waves with another Ryan, directing Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in 2024’s MCU megahit Deadpool & Wolverine.
Before that, the Candian-born filmmaker worked with Reynolds and Zoe Saldana in The Adam Project for Netflix.
Read more: All the new Star Wars films and TV shows
He has also directed episodes of the upcoming Stranger Things season 5, helping to steer The Duffer Bros. show to its conclusion alongside fellow directors Frank Darabont and Dan Trachtenberg.
Ryan Gosling and Shawn Levy Star Wars movie plot
As mentioned above, you’d need telepathic Force powers to know what Levy’s Star Wars movie is about.
At the time of writing, details are harder to find than water on Tatooine. However, we know it will be a stand-alone story set apart from the franchise’s primary Skywalker saga. That ended with 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker.
It’s also unclear whether Levy’s story will focus on the Jedi or their sworn enemies the Sith. That said, with centuries of lore to choose from, the filmmaker has no shortage of jumping-off points.
Speaking about the project after its initial reveal in 2022, Levy explained that current Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy wanted “a Shawn Levy movie” first and foremost.
“When Kathy Kennedy brought me on board to make a Star Wars movie, her central mandate to me was ‘I want a Shawn Levy movie. I want a story and a tone that reflects you and your taste and what you bring to your movies — with a Star Wars story,’”, explained Levy.
“So I have felt extremely empowered.”
What is the next Star Wars movie?
We haven’t had a Star Wars movie for quite a while. The last one to grace cinema screens was J.J. Abrams’ new trilogy closer Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, a film which received questionable reviews.
Since then, Disney and Lucasfilm have focused on producing small-screen projects like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Acolyte and most recently, Skeleton Crew.
The next Star Wars movie scheduled for a theatrical release is Dave Filoni’s The Mandalorian and Grogu which is scheduled for release on 22 May 2026.
