Mikey Madison Just Rejected Star Wars Like It Was a Parking Ticket

Mikey Madison, yes, Scream girl, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood breakout, chaotic Gen Z heartthrob, has reportedly declined a role in Shawn Levy’s upcoming Star Wars film. That’s right. She took one look at the most powerful franchise in entertainment history, raised a brow, and said, “I’m good.”

According to Variety (April 16, 2025), Madison was approached for a key role in Levy’s highly secretive and aggressively buzzed-about project, only to respectfully decline.

And just like that, Hollywood’s most ambitious nerds are spiraling.

“She was approached early in the casting process, but ultimately passed,” a source told Variety. No reason was disclosed, but insiders say it was “amicable” and “professional,” which is celebrity PR code for she’s booked and busy.

WHO IS SHAWN LEVY AND WHY IS HE MAKING A STAR WARS MOVIE?

If you’ve been under a pop culture rock, Shawn Levy is the Canadian megabrain behind Stranger Things, Free Guy, The Adam Project, and the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine. He’s Hollywood’s golden retriever with a camera, churning out heartwarming, CGI-heavy blockbusters like your life depends on it.

Lucasfilm tapped Levy to direct a standalone Star Wars film in 2022. This is not some cobbled-together streaming spinoff. This is a theatrically released, Jedi-adjacent, post-Skywalker-era cinematic event. And yes, it stars Ryan Gosling. Insert breathless wheezing here.

Levy confirmed in interviews with Collider and Variety that his Star Wars film will be “its own story,” not reliant on the Skywalker dynasty or any existing canon. “I want to make a Star Wars film that’s personal and fresh,” he said. Translation: No lightsaber cameos from Yoda’s cousin.

ENTER: RYAN GOSLING, THE KEN THAT LIVED

Ryan Gosling is officially in talks to lead Levy’s Star Wars installment. Details are tightly guarded, but it’s rumored he’ll play a non-Jedi protagonist navigating a new corner of the galaxy, a galaxy that looks suspiciously like a peak-2010s Calvin Klein ad. Gosling in space? With laser blasters? Shirtless? We don’t know yet, but if God is real, we’ll find out.

Levy told Entertainment Weekly that working with Gosling again was “a no-brainer,” adding

“He’s fearless, he’s funny, and he wants to do something new. That’s what this movie is all about.”

You heard it here first. Ken is going to space and the Force is trembling.

WHY MADISON’S NO IS SUCH A SHOCK

Mikey Madison isn’t just a random rising actress. She’s got the résumé of someone built for a Star Wars arc. She’s played psychotic killers (Scream), sharp Gen Z girls with daddy issues (Better Things), and even a Manson girl (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood). In other words, she’s genre catnip.

So why pass? One theory: She’s allergic to green screens. Another: She simply doesn’t care about lightsabers. Or maybe she’s waiting for a better villain role, something with black eyeliner and a monologue. Whatever the reason, it’s an iconic power move.

“Turning down Star Wars is one of the most quietly confident things an actor can do,” says talent agent Kara Delaney, who spoke anonymously. “It tells studios: I’m not desperate. I’m the franchise.”

We stan a woman with taste.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE LEVY GOSLING STAR WARS SPECTACLE?

Now that Madison is out of the picture, casting continues. Production is still in early development, with a script penned by Levy and his The Adam Project collaborator Jonathan Tropper. According to Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, speaking to Variety in March 2025, the story takes place roughly 5 to 6 years after The Rise of Skywalker in a completely new corner of the universe.

“We’re focusing on new characters and a fresh mythos,” Kennedy said. “But that doesn’t mean we won’t see familiar faces.”

So what does that mean? Is Rey popping up to say hi? Will Baby Yoda have a cameo as a 100-year-old teenager with an attitude problem? Nobody knows. And that’s what makes this all so maddeningly delicious.

MIKES, YOU WILL BE MISSED

Mikey Madison walking away from Star Wars is the kind of Hollywood mic drop we don’t see enough of. It’s bold. It’s chaotic. It’s deeply unserious in the most serious way possible. In an industry where people fight to the death for one line in a Disney franchise, she said, “I’m good, love. Enjoy.”

And now, the question on everyone’s lips
Who’s going to replace her?

Whoever it is, they better bring the same chaotic bad girl energy. Because this galaxy is not ready for anything less.