The upcoming Star Wars movie Star Wars: Starfighter has just announced its villain, and it continues one of George Lucas’ oddest traditions. Back in April 2025, Lucasfilm officially announced the upcoming Shawn Levy-directed film, which is set to star Ryan Gosling.

Despite getting a May 2027 premiere date, we still know very little about the plot of the movie, though some casting announcements have been made. This includes one revealing that Mia Goth has joined the project as one of the film’s main antagonists.

However, it was just announced that Doctor Who alum and House of the Dragon star Matt Smith will also be joining the cast of Starfighter as a villain. Smith’s casting continues a tradition that was started by Lucas back in 1977 with the original Star Wars, one that’s quite hilarious in retrospect.

George Lucas Tended To Cast Brits As Villains Too

When looking back at Star Wars history, the first main villain of a Star Wars film was Grand Moff Tarkin, played by Brit Peter Cushing. We’ve seen that most other Imperial officers in the original Star Wars trilogy are also British, or at least utilize a British (Coruscanti) accent.

This was, hilariously, one of the first ways audiences were able to distinguish between the good guys and the bad guys. While this notion didn’t last, specifically with the introduction of Rebel leaders like Mon Mothma in Return of the Jedi, it’s interesting that most Imperial officers to this day are played by British actors, or utilize a British accent.

While there are certainly some instances of exceptions, particularly with more recent characters like Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian or Dr. Royce Hemlock in Star Wars: The Bad Batch, it’s a general rule that Star Wars villains are Brits. It’s unknown why George Lucas initiated this unusual tradition, but it has endured for nearly fifty years.

Matt Smith Has All The Makings Of A Classic Star Wars Villain

Matt Smith, in many ways, seems made for Star Wars. Smith’s physical presence is reminiscent of other great Star Wars villains, and he hasn’t shied away from difficult roles in the past, meaning he’s well-equipped for a galaxy far, far away.

What will make Matt Smith a great Star Wars villain isn’t just the fact that he’s British, but also that he’s already taken on these larger-than-life roles in shows like Doctor Who and House of the Dragon, meaning he won’t be intimidated by the scale and impact of a film like Starfighter.

Matt Smith’s casting in the upcoming Starfighter movie is great news. While it might just be a happy accident that Smith also happens to be British and will be playing a Star Wars villain, there’s no denying that his performance in Starfighter will be highly anticipated.

Star Wars: Starfighter hits theaters May 28, 2027.