Matt Smith’s ‘Star Wars’ Character Could Make Up For His Marvel Flop

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Matt Smith will be joining the Star Wars universe in 2027, which is already exciting news for fans. Interestingly, this new role could be a welcome change after a previous film project received largely negative reviews. Smith first became well-known as the lead in Doctor Who at just 26 years old, and he’s since appeared in other popular franchises. However, not every role has been as successful for him as his time playing the Eleventh Doctor.

After a less successful role in a Marvel project, actor Smith is back on track, returning for the final season of House of the Dragon. Fans have even more to look forward to, as he’s also joining the cast of Star Wars: Starfighter, due out in 2027. He’ll be acting alongside stars like Ryan Gosling, Mia Goth, and Amy Adams. Hopefully, this new Star Wars role will be a standout performance and help people forget about that earlier Marvel misstep.

Who Is Matt Smith In ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’?


IFC Films

Matt Smith recently told A Rabbit’s Foot that he’ll start filming his part in Star Wars: Starfighter in December 2025. This is happening even though director Shawn Levy began production on the new Star Wars film earlier this year. Details about Smith’s character are still limited, but reports suggest he will play a key villain in the story.

It’s funny, Starfighter isn’t actually Matt Smith’s first connection to Star Wars. He was originally going to play a young Sheev Palpatine in The Rise of Skywalker back in 2019! Sadly, that didn’t end up happening, and we never got to see his take on the iconic villain Ian McDiarmid made so famous. So, I’m really excited about Starfighter – it feels like a chance for him to finally get his moment in the Star Wars universe.

‘Star Wars’ Gives Matt Smith His Biggest Villain Role Since ‘Morbius’


Sony Pictures

Even though Matt Smith stopped playing the Doctor over ten years ago, he’s still known for portraying heroes – the Doctor is consistently the show’s moral center. However, Smith has recently taken on more complex roles, like Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon. He also played Milo in Morbius, a character who ultimately became the main villain in a movie already focused on a flawed protagonist.

Aside from his role in House of the Dragon, Matt Smith’s other recent projects haven’t received much attention. While the 2023 film Starve Acre gave him a chance to play a character spiraling into madness, it wasn’t a major box office success, even though it has a strong 82% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. As a result, the film didn’t significantly change how the public views Smith’s ability to play villains.

It’s unlikely Star Wars: Starfighter will be an exception to the usual intense discussion surrounding new Star Wars releases. These films always generate a lot of conversation, especially about the villains. This gives actor Smith a prime chance to showcase his skills as a villain – something he hasn’t been able to do in a while, having often played heroes or characters with complex morals. If fans and critics respond positively to his performance as the villain in Starfighter, he could open up a wide range of acting opportunities, allowing him to play any type of character in future projects.

‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ Gives Matt Smith a Better Chance to Shine as a Villain


Disney

Although promoted as a Marvel movie, Morbius wasn’t really connected to the main Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It existed within Sony’s Spider-Man Universe – nicknamed the ‘Villain-Verse’ by fans – which focused on Spider-Man villains without including Spider-Man himself. When Morbius came out, only the first two Venom movies had been released in this universe. While those films were financially successful, they hadn’t been without criticism.

By the time Morbius was released, audiences were tired of superhero origin stories and weren’t particularly excited about a movie featuring a relatively obscure comic book villain. The film likely only made a small profit, indicating low attendance in theaters. As a result, Jared Smith’s performance as Milo didn’t get much attention. Starfighter, however, is expected to perform much better, especially since the Star Wars franchise has regained fan trust with successful TV series following the mixed reception of The Rise of Skywalker.

Matt Smith is poised to receive a lot of attention when he joins the Star Wars universe in 2027. Although his character seemed to finish its story in the movie Morbius, Star Wars has a tradition of bringing back both good and bad characters in different ways and across various stories. If Smith is well-received in Star Wars: Starfighter, it’s likely we’ll see his character return in future installments. Star Wars: Starfighter is scheduled to be released in theaters on May 28, 2027.

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2025-11-23 23:03