Will Mia Goth get lost in the ‘Star Wars’ universe?
There comes a time in many actors’ careers when they take on a job that seems out of character, so to speak. Seemingly betraying their roots in indie films and transgressive stories, these actors are often labelled cash-grabbers or sell-outs, but is that always the case?
This is the question that arises with the casting of Mia Goth in the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter, scheduled for release in 2027. What on earth is the scream queen doing in a blockbuster franchise?
Goth, who famously got her start in the industry as a model, secured her first film role in 2013’s Nymphomaniac, directed by controversial auteur Lars von Trier. I mean, that was certainly one way to enter the world of cinema, and her intense performance in the movie was hard to forget. Naturally, that sort of arrival quickly led to more roles over the coming years, with Goth becoming a modern horror icon.
It’s apt for someone with the last name Goth to become one of the genre’s biggest stars, but clearly it was written in the stars. Prominent roles in movies like A Cure for Wellness, Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria and Claire Denis’ High Life followed, before the actor rose to more widespread fame with her leading role in the X trilogy, playing multiple roles that demonstrated her versatility.
Donning prosthetics to play an old woman in X while also portraying the young porn actor Maxine, Goth then played the younger version of the elderly villain in Pearl before returning to the hopeful screen star for MaXXine, set after the events of X. While Goth has appeared in non-horror movies, like the successful Jane Austen adaptation Emma, her choices have always strayed away from mainstream accessibility and blockbuster vehicles.
It’s refreshing to see actors stick to their guns and appear in movies that feel authentic to their own tastes and an interest in the preservation of cinema as an art form. And with that in mind, it’s somewhat surprising to see Goth joining the cast of Star Wars, one of the biggest franchises on the planet. The issue is that Star Wars has morphed into a soulless franchise over the years, sitting alongside the likes of the MCU and other huge franchises as money-making machines that consistently rely upon legacy and fandom to attract business.
The rise of blockbuster franchises has actively harmed the cinematic landscape, particularly for filmmakers making movies such as those that have given Goth her career. It feels like an odd choice for her to move into this new territory, but it seems like a natural part of being a star these days – perhaps (somewhat depressingly) actors need to be a part of franchises to truly survive in the industry long-term.
With Goth appearing as a villain in Star Wars, is the actor going to bring something new to the franchise – something a little more unusual and exciting – or will she simply get swallowed up by the franchise machine? It’s hard to tell, especially since filming hasn’t even begun, but there’s a real risk of Goth losing her unique selling point as a striking and unconventional star if she decides to lend herself to blockbusters now.
Still, the film is set to star Ryan Gosling, too, who has proved himself to be highly capable of flitting between indie projects and blockbusters, from Drive and Blue Valentine to Barbie and The Gray Man. If he can do it, why can’t Goth?
At the end of the day, it feels increasingly rare for actors as special as Goth – someone who continuously opts for interesting and unusual roles – to find success, so it’s a shame to see them get sucked into the Hollywood machine. Yet, only time will tell whether Goth will continue to keep up her horror streak, or if she’ll lose herself to the bright lights of the blockbuster world.
