Oscar-winning Mikey Madison was almost confirmed for Shawn Levy-Ryan Gosling's Star Wars; here's everything to know
Fresh off her breakout performance in Anora, one of the year's most talked-about films, Mikey Madison is now being hailed as Hollywood's next big thing. With a BAFTA and an Independent Spirit Award, the 26 year old is suddenly at the top of every director's casting wish list. But what fans might not know is that she nearly boarded one of the most iconic franchises in cinema history: Star Wars.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Madison's carefully curated post-Anora career choices were put into focus. Since the film's debut at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, Madison has been highly selective when it came to new work but she did set her sights on a few unexpected projects. One, according to the interview, was Reptilia, a love story about a dental hygienist who falls for a mermaid — directed by Alejandro Landes. The other? A galaxy far, far away.
For months, there were hushed rumours circulating through industry circles that Madison had been considered for a role in the new Star Wars film — one that would be directed by Shawn Levy and features none other than Ryan Gosling. While Madison didn't go into detail about how far she got in the process, the buzz was very real. The Gosling-led project has been in development at Lucasfilm since 2022, with Levy working closely with the studio to create something distinct. The director himself hinted at the film's direction during a podcast appearance, saying: 'I'll say that the experience of crafting this story has forced me to think about that question. Because there's only so many times that Star Wars movies can revisit the same section of the timeline, and so it's really forced me, because I don't want to do a Star Wars movie that is redundant to others, nor am I interested in doing one that has to serve another movie."'
That desire to break away from the franchise's well-worn territory might have been part of what attracted Madison — an actor now known for taking unconventional roles — to the project. And while the casting didn't ultimately come together, the near-miss has become a compelling 'what if' moment in her rising career.
Before Anora thrust her into the spotlight, Madison had already been making waves in Hollywood. She played Manson follower Susan Atkins in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) and took on a memorable role in Scream 5 (2022).cNow, with her phone ringing off the hook and scripts landing at her feet, Madison may have passed on the lightsaber for now, but you never know what the future might hold.
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