Aaron Pierre Is Joining a $10 Billion Sci-Fi Franchise Right After His DC Green Lantern Debut — And It'll Make Him An Even Bigger Star

Lanterns star Aaron Pierre has already set his next major role in a $10 billion sci-fi franchise that everyone knows. 32-year-old British actor Aaron Pierre has been all the rage in recent years, thanks in part to his leading role in Netflix's Emmy-winning action flick, Rebel Ridge. The rising star has since voiced the legendary leading lion in Mufasa: The Lion King, a live-action prequel to the Disney classic, and appeared in Apple TV+'s The Morning Show Season 4.

Pierre re-entered the limelight this year as the co-star of DC Studios' Lanterns, playing the Green Lantern new recruit, John Stewart, alongside Kyle Chandler's veteran space cop Hal Jordan. The HBO Max series is just the beginning for Pierre in the DCU, as he will reprise the beloved Emerald Knight next year in Man of Tomorrow, the Superman sequel directed by James Gunn himself. But that isn't the only major franchise that Pierre is signing on to join next summer.

Before Man of Tomorrow flies into theaters on July 9, 2027, Aaron Pierre is officially joining Star Wars for the 13th movie in the sci-fi franchise, which has already earned $10.72 billion worldwide ahead of its 50th anniversary next year. The Lanterns star will debut in Star Wars: Starfighter, the new post-sequel trilogy standalone story from Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy, set for release on May 28, 2027, nine months after his HBO Max series premiered.

Pierre isn't the only superhero franchise alum appearing in Starfighter, as he will be joined by Amy Adams, Matt Smith, and Daniel Ings in the blockbuster. The 2027 Star Wars blockbuster is headlined by Ryan Gosling, who will soon enter the comic book realm himself as the star of Marvel Studios' Ghost Rider.

Interestingly, The Odyssey actress Mia Goth is also part of the cast, and she almost worked with Pierre several years back as both were signed on for Mahershala Ali's Blade. Goth had her breakout role in 2022's Ti West horror Pearl, where she worked with another DCU icon: Superman actor David Corenswet. 

Speaking on his Star Wars debut with CBS Mornings, Pierre praised the movie's director and lead as truly "golden" and said he had a "blast" filming:

"I'm grateful. We had a blast filming that. Shawn Levy is just golden; Ryan Gosling, golden. The world that they create for the actors on set is unlike anything you will have experienced."

The Lanterns icon told GQ how these worlds are "literally built for you to walk through," hinting at just how practical Levy went in crafting Starfighter:

"Whole worlds are literally built for you to walk through, touch, go inside, and climb. The music that gets played before a scene commences. It feels like you're on stage. Like, the mud is real!"

Pierre recalled his first-ever Star Wars experience with Esquire, calling back to seeing Episode I - The Phantom Menace with his uncle in 1999 when he was just a five-year-old London lad. He noted how he found it to be "larger than life, cinematic, engaging, thrilling, and very emotional:"

"It was in 1999, the Phantom Menace. I saw it with my uncle. I remember the day so vividly because it was the first Star Wars I ever saw... And I just remember being in awe of everything I was seeing. It was so larger than life, cinematic, engaging, thrilling, and very emotional, especially as a five-year-old. It was amazing. And I just didn't stop talking about it for a long time afterwards."

It seems that memory has stuck with Pierre in his own venture into the galaxy far, far away, as he noted his desire to "bring the best version of this film" to fans and those taking their first dive into Star Wars:

"All I can say is Shawn [Levy, the director] is so very wonderful. He's so passionate. He cares so very much, as does everyone who is involved in this. And we're really doing our best to bring the very best version of this film to the fans and the supporters, and to those who will be introduced to the world for the first time. We understand the magnitude of this, so we're very excited."

Lucasfilm will be holding out hope with Starfighter to revive the galaxy far, far away's box-office prospects after The Mandalorian & Grogu failed to meet expectations and became the franchise's lowest-earning title. That said, there is a sense of greater optimism around Starfighter as it throws Disney+ connections aside and pulls together an all-star cast for some good old-fashioned Star Wars.

Who Is Aaron Pierre Playing in Star Wars? (Leaks & Rumors Explained)

Star Wars: Starfighter may have just lost one major actor, but Aaron Pierre is still set to enter the galaxy far, far away on May 28, 2027. While Lucasfilm hasn't truly confirmed anything about the Lanterns star's role in the Shawn Levy flick, rumors indicate that he may be suiting up as another galactic peacekeeper.

According to rumors from MakingStarWars, Pierre will be "connected to [a] Jedi sanctuary" on Adaria, a new planet that will be introduced in Starfighter. It appears he will be playing a Jedi himself, as the scooper also revealed that he will have a duel with Mia Goth's lightsaber-wielding villain on the planet.

As Starfighter is set five years after The Rise of Skywalker, there is a real chance that Daisy Ridley's Rey is the one behind this sanctuary, who may have even trained Pierre's Jedi in the ways of the Force. However, even if that is the case, Rey sadly isn't expected to return in Starfighter, despite prior rumors.

But that's not to say that the sequel trilogy icon is done, as Rey will reportedly have a "major role" in Simon Kinberg's new trilogy, and possibly the New Jedi Order-focused tale from Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, if it's still happening. Provided Pierre survives his debut and fight with Goth, he could have a bright future in Star Wars as part of the franchise's next trilogy, which is heating up in development.

However, any additional Star Wars commitments for Pierre will need to navigate his DCU future as John Stewart, which appears brighter than ever. The actor has already wrapped on his return for next year's Man of Tomorrow, but Lanterns' success makes Season 2 almost inevitable, and there's no telling where else he could appear down the line, perhaps in an all-new Green Lantern movie.

Before Pierre gets into any more sci-fi chaos in Star Wars or the DCU, he will next appear on Amazon Prime Video on October 14 in Love of Your Life. The rising star will strike up a romantic relationship with the young Maya, played by Margaret Qualley, as will Gabriel Basso and Patrick Schwarzenegger in a story that explores various romances and travels across a decade of her life.