Why Ryan Gosling can be a new hope for the Star Wars universe
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The news that Ryan Gosling is in talks to take the lead in a new Star Wars movie will be met with dismay by some fans. Particularly since the untitled movie looks set to be directed by Shawn Levy, the man behind last year’s divisive mega-hit Deadpool and Wolverine.
While Gosling is an acclaimed Oscar-nominated A-Lister, he is also Ken from Barbie, not someone who is particularly edgy in the manner sci-fi fans demand. Meanwhile, Levy might too edgy for many, with Deadpool’s Grand Guignol of ‘wrong’ humour, anarchic piss-taking and infantile glee not exactly made for the Star Wars galaxy, which relies upon a certain seriousness at its core; meta has a big place in comic book films, not so much in space operas where the minute someone starts winking at the camera, everything collapses.
However, the Star Wars Cinematic Universe, to give it it’s official title, is in trouble. It’s not just The Acolyte that’s been cancelled, there’s been a steady stream of aborted films. A new trilogy by Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss was scrapped. Patty ‘Wonder Woman’ Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron film was also scrapped in 2023 though is now back on. Kevin Feige had a Star Wars film in development but that was also cancelled in 2023. Same with Taika Waititi’s project.
