First Sylvester Stallone and Now Mark Hamill, Why Legends Are Okay With Ryan Gosling Leading Their Billion Dollar Franchise

Ryan Gosling just got the approval from Luke Skywalker himself ahead of Star Wars: Starfighter. Mark Hamill commented on Gosling taking over the lead role in the new film from the Disney-owned franchise that will be out on May 28, 2027. He revealed during his appearance at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival that he doesn’t intend to give the Barbie actor any pointers.

He shared about Gosling at the event, “I’ve been a fan of his and I became a super fan when he played Beavis on Saturday Night Live” (via PEOPLE). Hamill is not wrong, as Gosling nailed the brief comedic role during his appearance on SNL. He further shared about the new Star Wars film:

It wasn’t the first time that a legend expressed confidence in Ryan Gosling to take over for them in a major franchise movie. He is potentially Sylvester Stallone’s choice of the next Rambo. Stallone shared that the good-looking Gosling would be a perfect fit for the character.

During his appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Stallone revealed that he would happily pass on the baton to Gosling. He shared that he once met Gosling at a dinner and found out about his love for the Rambo role. He revealed to Stallone how he would dress up as Rambo and go to school, just to be ridiculed by his friends.

Stallone revealed that he would pass on the baton to him because Golsing loved the character. However, he admitted that there would be criticism about his good looks. Stallone shared with The Tonight Show:

Gosling is doing something right since he is not only being actively pursued by legacy IPs, but even the legends want him to take over for them. Gosling’s passion for the roles and his continued critical and commercial success make him a favorite for major studios.

Is Ryan Gosling the Right Man to Take Over Star Wars & Rambo?

Ryan Gosling is no stranger to playing versatile roles in the industry. While the superhero genre movies continue to evade him, Gosling’s choice of movies has always earned him appreciation from critics and fans. He has appeared in a variety of genres, from romance (The Notebook) to action drama (Drive) and fantasy comedy (Barbie).

As for the case of both the ongoing Star Wars project and a potential Rambo movie in the future, Gosling can effortlessly take over as the lead due to his sheer passion for the projects. During a Star Wars Celebration event in Tokyo in April, Gosling’s love for the project was on full display. His childhood Star Wars bedsheets were shown on the video wall. The actor said (via BBC):

And his passion for Rambo was clear from a reckless incident in his childhood. He revealed the story during an old appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He shared that he saw Rambo: First Blood, which got him obsessed with the character.

He was fascinated by the action sequences and even believed that he could be like Sylvester Stallone. In an attempt to show off his Rambo avatar, Gosling took a bunch of steak knives from his Fisher Price Houdini kit and threw them at other kids. He was suspended from school for the incident, and his parents punished him by taking away his movie-watching privileges.

Meanwhile, Star Wars: Starfighter is well into production. Director Shawn Levy first announced that Gosling would star in the film during the Tokyo Star Wars event. He gave a brief idea of what the film was about. He shared (via PEOPLE):

More recently, in September, Levy shared a pic from the set of the film, which he mentioned as “somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea.” In the first look image, Gosling appeared alongside child actor Flynn Gray. Other confirmed cast for the film included Amy Adams, Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, Mia Goth, and Matt Smith.

Ryan Gosling’s Box Office Prowess Makes Him a Favorite to Lead Franchise Movies

Ryan Gosling in First Man | Credits: Universal Pictures

Ryan Gosling was always a favorite among the critics, even when the box office didn’t sway much in his favor. His films were critically acclaimed, but none of them reached the box office success of his 2016 Oscar-nominated film, La La Land, until Barbie in 2023. No fan can forget the impact Barbie created at the 2023 box office.

The film emerged as the top-grossing film of 2023, with a $1.4 billion gross box office return, and garnered numerous Oscar nominations. Before the box office hit that revived theaters, Gosling appeared in the streaming hit movie, The Gray Man. It was his first appearance in four years, and despite all the critical bashing, the film managed to win over audiences.

According to IndieWire, the film was the streamer’s fifth-best movie debut, with 88.55 million hours of views in its initial three days. As opposed to the 46% Rotten Tomatometer score, the film has a 90% approval rating among audiences.

Gosling’s post-Barbie movie, The Fall Guy, didn’t manage to pull in a similarly big crowd, but it was praised by many critics and fans. It also became Gosling’s fourth-highest-grossing movie at the box office.

For major studios, Gosling could potentially bring in both critical and commercial success to their projects. Here are the top ten movies of the actor, ranked by their worldwide box office collections:

Besides the Star Wars project, Reynolds is also the star in the film adaptation of Project Hail Mary. He is serving as a producer in the movie, which is currently in post-production. Another IP movie was circling the actor for a long time. His busy schedule has forced the Ocean’s Eleven prequel to look elsewhere.

Before Hamill & Stallone, Harrison Ford Picked Ryan Gosling To Be His Successor

Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford in Blade Runner 2049 | Credits: WB Pictures

Previously, Ryan Gosling took over another famous action movie from the legendary Harrison Ford and delivered exceptionally well. He played the lead alongside Ford in Blade Runner 2049, the sequel to the 1982 film. Dune director Denis Villeneuve took over the sequel from Ridley Scott. It became the third-highest-grossing film in Gosling’s filmography.

The film didn’t receive much love from the critics and audience in comparison to the original. However, Ford “enjoyed the experience of making” this movie far better than Scott’s original, thanks to co-stars like Gosling (via Variety). Their chemistry was evident in the press tour of the movie, where Ford and Gosling shared stories about each other from the movie set.

Ford recently commented on working with Gosling in the movie, even recalling the time when he accidentally punched his co-star. He shared, “[We were rehearsing a fight] and we got too close and I hit him. I apologized right away. What more could I do? Can’t take back a punch. Just take it.” He further shared about his co-star, “He’s a very handsome man. He’s still very handsome.”

With such testimonials, Gosling is destined for greatness. It’s still a wonder that Marvel hasn’t landed him yet, despite circling him for several roles, including Doctor Strange.

What do you think of Mark Hamill’s comments on Ryan Gosling’s Star Wars lead role? Let us know in the comments below!

Star Wars: Starfighter is set to be released in the U.S. theaters on May 28, 2027.