From Green Lantern to Galaxy Far, Far Away: Aaron Pierre’s Star Wars Debut Explained

Some actors take years to break into one major franchise. Aaron Pierre is stepping into two simultaneously — and it’s turning him into one of the busiest rising stars in Hollywood right now. Fresh off playing Green Lantern John Stewart in DC’s Lanterns, Pierre has officially signed on for Star Wars: Starfighter, joining a franchise that’s already banked over $10 billion worldwide.

From Rebel Ridge to Two Major Franchises

Pierre’s rise has been rapid. The 32-year-old British actor first broke through with Netflix’s Emmy-winning Rebel Ridge, then voiced the title character in Mufasa: The Lion King and appeared in Apple TV+’s The Morning Show Season 4. This year, he stepped into the DCU as John Stewart alongside Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan in Lanterns on HBO Max — a role he’ll reprise next year in Man of Tomorrow, James Gunn’s Superman sequel.

But before that DCU sequel even hits theaters, Pierre is heading somewhere entirely different.

Pierre’s Packed Upcoming Schedule

Inside His Star Wars Debut

Pierre is joining Star Wars: Starfighter, the 13th film in the franchise, directed by Deadpool & Wolverine filmmaker Shawn Levy. He’ll star alongside Amy Adams, Matt Smith, Daniel Ings, and lead Ryan Gosling — notably, Gosling himself is crossing over into superhero territory soon as Marvel’s Ghost Rider, making this cast a genuine crossroads of franchise talent.

Speaking about the shoot, Pierre praised Levy and Gosling as “golden” and described the production’s immersive sets as feeling like real, tangible worlds built specifically for the actors to walk through — a sentiment that echoes his own childhood memory of watching The Phantom Menace with his uncle at age five, a moment he says he couldn’t stop talking about for years afterward.

Who Is He Playing? The Leaks So Far?

Lucasfilm hasn’t officially confirmed Pierre’s role, but reports suggest he’ll play a Jedi connected to a sanctuary on the new planet Adaria, potentially facing off against Mia Goth’s lightsaber-wielding villain. Since Starfighter is set five years after The Rise of Skywalker, fan speculation has connected the sanctuary to Rey — though she isn’t currently expected to appear in this film.

Why This Matters for His Career?

Landing simultaneous roles in two of the biggest franchises in entertainment — the DCU and Star Wars — places Pierre among a small group of actors bridging major studio universes at once. It also comes at a critical moment for Lucasfilm, which is hoping Starfighter revives box office momentum after The Mandalorian & Grogu underperformed. Star Wars, now one of the highest-grossing media franchises in history, is leaning on a starry, standalone story to reset audience enthusiasm ahead of its 50th anniversary next year.

With Lanterns Season 2 looking increasingly likely and Man of Tomorrow already in the can, Pierre’s next few years are shaping up to be genuinely franchise-defining.

For more on how DC’s actors are expanding across Hollywood’s biggest universes, check out TechnoSports’ coverage of DC Studios’ growing animated and live-action slate.

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