Former Marvel Studios president David Maisel just revealed that Star Wars has finally found its own version of Robert Downey Jr., potentially setting up the franchise for a successful and lucrative future, just like the MCU. Star Wars is undisputedly one of the biggest and most influential brands of all time. If George Lucas had not created the galaxy far, far away in 1977 and its sequels, fans may not have other blockbusters and major franchises like the MCU today. However, Star Wars as a whole has hit a bit of a rough patch recently, as it is not considered the prestigious franchise it once was. That could all change, though, with one recent casting.
In a recent interview with SYFY, former Marvel Studios president David Maisel (Kevin Feige’s predecessor who helped create the MCU and was responsible for Disney’s acquisition of Marvel Studios) talked about the Star Wars brand as a whole, specifically mentioning a recent casting the franchise made that he views as similar to Marvel Studios bringing in Robert Downey Jr. to play Tony Stark in 2008’s Iron Man.
Specifically, the casting that Maisel was referring to was Ryan Gosling, who was announced to be the lead in 2027’s Starfighter, directed by Shawn Levy. According to the former Marvel chairman, Gosling is "the right casting for the role," and that, if "feels like" when Marvel brought in Downey Jr. to play in Iron Man:
"I think the right casting for the role... As long as it's an authentic casting like Robert Downey Jr. was for Tony Stark, I think this feels like that's what it is, people respond to that. It feels like right thing to do for that franchise."
This is extremely high praise, as Downey Jr.'s casting is one of the most influential in history. One could argue that, if Downey Jr. hadn't worked out so well as Iron Man, the MCU would be nowhere near the multibillion-dollar franchise that it is, and that it may not even exist today.
Therefore, it is almost as if Maisel is saying that Gosling could get Star Wars back on track and help it return to its former glory. If that were to happen, Gosling would likely be mentioned in the same breath as Downey Jr. when talking about actors who completely saved their respective franchises.
Notably, Maisel also talked about Star Wars' impact on the entertainment industry as a whole, as well as how it influenced him when creating the MCU. This specific interview was conducted at George Lucas' new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, prompting Maisel to admit that "it was Star Wars that [he] fell in love with," which prompted him to create the MCU. In Maisel's words, "if George didn't do all of this stuff, there might not be an MCU:"
"Being at George Lucas' museum, it was Star Wars that I fell in love with, which caused me wanting to do a universe, and which became the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So, if George didn't do all of this stuff, there might not be an MCU. So, for me, it's celebrating the person who got me excited about movies, which is amazing."
While Maisel is no longer the chairman of Marvel Studios (that title now belongs to Kevin Feige), he is still involved with what goes on at that company. Naturally, he was also asked about the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday film. Without giving anything away, Maisel teased that fans are "in for a treat:"
"All I can say is, it's gonna be amazing. The team there, led by Kevin Feige, has done a great job and I think all of us fans, including myself are in for a treat."
Starfighter is slated to be released on May 28, 2027.
Is Ryan Gosling Star Wars' Savior?
As mentioned, Star Wars has not had the same commanding presence in recent years that it once did. At one time, Star Wars was the biggest brand on the planet in the entertainment world, and no one can take that away. However, since Disney acquired Lucasfilm, there have been a lot of struggles (and also a lot of successes, but more struggles).
The most recent example of Star Wars being in a lull is the box office performance of The Mandalorian & Grogu. Despite being the first Star Wars film in seven years, it broke the record for the lowest-grossing Star Wars flick of all time.
Starfighter has the potential to course-correct the franchise, though. It is next up on Lucasfilm's theatrical slate, and with a star-studded cast anchored by Gosling, it has a good chance to be exactly what Star Wars needs.
Now, it has not been confirmed that Gosling will continue to play his character beyond Starfighter, as Downey Jr. did with Tony Stark in the MCU. However, if the movie performs well and truly helps get Star Wars back in the spotlight, Lucasfilm and Disney will likely give him a blank check in hopes that he will return.
At the end of the day, Gosling really could be Star Wars' savior. Before Iron Man's release, no one knew that Downey Jr. would be almost solely responsible for launching the MCU. Gosling could do the same with Star Wars.
