Ever since I watched Project Hail Mary, which is definitely one of the strongest 2026 movie releases so far, I’ve understandably been on a Ryan Gosling kick, and wanting to see more out of the actor. I mean let’s face it, between films like La La Land and Barbie the guy knows how to pick ‘em. Sure, he’s already got Star Wars: Starfighter on the way, but I was looking forward to another movie where his involvement sadly went south.
Now that more details has surfaced pertaining to why he left, as well as the A-lister replacing him, I'm still moody about it all, but am glad to have more clarity about what happened.
I Was Hyped For Ryan Gosling’s New Movie, Until He Left
Have you seen a little movie called Everything Everywhere All At Once? It became an unexpected hit between its record-breaking box office success and winning Best Picture (along with a ton of other accolades) and being now regarded as one of the best sci-fi movies ever made. Well, the filmmakers behind it, The Daniels, are currently working on another sci-fi story that involves time travel and global warming, and they'd initially cast Ryan Gosling in it.
Having seen and absolutely adored Everything Everywhere All At Once, I was really excited to see how Gosling would collaborate with The Daniels. I feel like the actor and the filmmakers would be a really solid match when it comes to comedy and what they can do with bringing original concepts to life. But, Gosling has since left the movie and we’re hearing this week that Matt Damon has replaced him in the role he was going to play.
Why Ryan Gosling Allegedly Left The Daniels’ Movie
Now, I’m not writing this to take any shots at Matt Damon. I think Damon is phenomenal, and likely when The Daniels’ new movie comes out in the fall of 2027 I’ll look back at this story not being able to imagine anyone else for the leading role. What I want to talk about is what The Hollywood Reporter learned about why Gosling allegedly left.
Per the outlet, when Ryan Gosling agreed to star in the movie, he had some notes for the directors. He apparently wanted the movie to be “larger” in scale and “asked for script changes”. However, considering Universal also slotted the movie for November 2027 and they received a California tax credit to film the untitled movie this summer/early fall, adhering to Gosling’s requests would have been a hassle.
As someone who deeply loves Everything Everywhere All At Once, which was made on a small budget of $25 million in California, I think there’s something special about The Daniels staying true to that vision for their followup. It cannot be easy to make another movie after winning Best Picture knowing how people are going to compare it, but I appreciate that the directors aren’t just making their next feature bigger because they can, even if that means having to say no to one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. I’ve been so excited for what The Daniels will do next, and I think they’ll be just fine without Ryan Gosling.
