Ryan Gosling missed Tom Cruise's day on Star Wars: Starfighter set

Ryan Gosling was devastated to miss Tom Cruise's day on the Star Wars: Starfighter set.

The Project Hail Mary actor leads the cast of the upcoming stand-along story and was stunned to receive a picture from director Shawn Levy on a day he wasn't needed on set, which revealed the Mission: Impossible star had made a surprise visit and helped shoot an action scene.

Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Ryan said: “I wasn’t there! It’s the one day I’m not there. I worked on that movie the whole time, I get one day off … and Shawn sends me a picture of him and Tom Cruise and [star] Flynn [Gray]. They’re, like, in the mud. I was like, ‘What?'

“Tom Cruise flew his helicopter onto set. They were just shooting, and they heard a helicopter, they had to cut. And it was Tom Cruise. He lands in the middle of set. He takes a camera, and he just starts shooting the action scene.

“It was an incredible moment, and I don’t know why he waited for the one day I wasn’t there. I’m gonna hope that was an accident."

Shawn previously revealed that Tom had the chance to film a lightsaber duel for Star Wars: Starfighter.

During an interview with The New York Times, the director said: “Now when you see the movie, you’ll know that part of it was shot by Tom. I mean, how cool is that?”

The Deadpool and Wolverine director explained Tom had arrived to the set and “just wanted to watch”, but he then suggested the Top Gun star should jump in to helm the battle scene.

As well as Tom, the set of Star Wars: Starfighter was visited by Steven Spielberg.

During his visit, Shawn was reminded of the advice the Jurassic Park filmmaker had given him when they made Real Steel - which Spielberg produced.

He explained: “You direct like you’re sitting in the audience.

“I’ve never forgotten that. For better or worse, I am making movies like I would want them to look and feel and sound like if I were sitting in that dark theatre. So maybe that’s it.”

Star Wars: Starfighter - which releases in 2027 - follows a pilot (Ryan Gosling) who is tasked with protecting his Force-sensitive nephew (Flynn Gray) as they are pursued by mysterious foes across the galaxy.

Ryan previously hailed the film a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity", having previously avoided major franchise films.

Speaking to io9, he said: “It was Shawn’s enthusiasm and his vision and the script.

"And I just avoided these things because they never felt right. And I’m glad I did because I feel like, [similar to] a book like this, [it was] worth waiting for. And it is like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”