Ryan Gosling will play an astronaut on a high-stakes mission in Project Hail Mary, which will be completely different from his last space-centric movie. In Project Hail Mary, which is based on the acclaimed novel by Andy Weir, Gosling plays Ryland Grace, a teacher who is recruited to be an astronaut and sent on a mission to save the Earth from an impending ice age.

Based on the trailer for Project Hail Mary, it will be one of the best sci-fi movies of 2026. It’s clear the movie will have a lot of action and thrills, but also feature plenty of humor, which is to be expected since it is directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the duo behind the Spider-Verse films and comedies like 21 Jump Street.

Based on the early buzz surrounding the film, it seems like Project Hail Mary will be incredible, and could even end up being one of Ryan Gosling’s best movies. This is exciting, especially since the actor has thrived in the sci-fi genre in the past. Interestingly, Project Hail Mary seems like the complete opposite of Gosling’s last science-oriented movie, 2018’s First Man.

Project Hail Mary Is A Different Type Of Sci-Fi Movie Than Ryan Gosling’s First Man

Early in his career, Gosling earned a reputation as an actor who liked to take on quite serious roles. In a lot of his most notable movies, such as Blue Valentine, Drive, and The Place Beyond the Pines, he has played very solemn characters who seem like they have never smiled in their lives. However, this has changed in recent years.

After returning to Hollywood in 2022 after a long break, Gosling has only taken on fun movie roles. Most recently, he has starred in The Gray Man, Barbie, and The Fall Guy, and the upcoming Project Hail Mary will be yet another entry in this new chapter of Gosling’s career.

Based on the trailer for the sci-fi film, it’s obvious that it is an action blockbuster that is prioritizing its entertainment factor. The trailer for Project Hail Mary even broke a record, becoming the most-viewed trailer ever for an original film. This impressive record suggests that it will be a major box office success, which was definitely not the case for Gosling’s last sci-fi film.

In First Man, Gosling portrayed astronaut Neil Armstrong as he prepared for the Apollo 11 mission. Rather than being a mᴀssive blockbuster, First Man was an awards-hopeful biographical drama about the space race. In the movie, Gosling got the chance to examine Armstrong’s inner psyche and explore his complicated relationship with his wife.

Despite receiving great reviews, First Man only managed gross $105 million at the worldwide box office on a budget of $59 million (via Box Office Mojo). Overall, the slow-paced biopic just didn’t appeal wider audiences, but this definitely won’t be the case with Project Hail Mary. It could very well end up being one of the most popular movies of next year following its March 20, 2026 release.