Mikey Madison reportedly declined a leading role in Shawn Levy’s upcoming Star Wars film, which is set to star Ryan Gosling.
Oscar winner Mikey Madison reportedly declined a leading role in Shawn Levy’s upcoming Star Wars film, which is set to star Ryan Gosling – and the internet thinks she made the right decision.
The Role That Could’ve Been
According to a recent Variety report, Mikey Madison was offered a leading role in Shawn Levy’s upcoming Star Wars film, a standalone project separate from the main Skywalker saga, with Ryan Gosling in talks to star. But instead of jumping on board of one of the biggest franchises in Hollywood, Madison made the bold decision to walk away.
A Smart Move, Not a Missed Opportunity
While some might see this as a missed career milestone, many people on Twitter say it feels like the smartest move she could’ve made. The Star Wars fandom is notoriously toxic – especially toward women and actors of color. Just look at what happened to Daisy Ridley, who was relentlessly harassed online to the point that she deleted all her social media. Or John Boyega, who faced disgusting levels of racism throughout his time in the franchise, while Disney stayed suspiciously silent.
Everyone Wants Mikey Madison – But She's Not Rushing Into Anything
Mikey Madison, fresh off her Oscar win for Anora, is in a position where she can afford to be selective and more importantly, protective of her mental health and long-term career. It's clear that many directors are interested in working with her. She reportedly was offered a role in an adaptation of a Colleen Hoover novel, but she has not yet accepted it and people doubt that she will. Barbie director Greta Gerwig has also expressed interest in having Mikey Madison on board for an upcoming project.
More Freedom, Less Franchise
While it's many actors' biggest dream, signing on to Star Wars doesn’t just mean taking on a role, it means giving up creative freedom for years. Madison has already proven she can carry emotionally complex roles (Scream, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Anora) and win critical acclaim for it. Being locked into the Disney machine might limit future opportunities for her.
My personal guess is that Mikey Madison is more interested in working with filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino or Sean Baker, with whom she worked with on Anora, to bring complex characters and unique stories to life.
Online reactions have been overwhelmingly supportive. Many fans are praising Madison for putting herself first. We can't wait to see what she does next.
Do you think she was right to walk away from the Star Wars role? Let us know in the comments!