I was holding out hope that we would see John Boyega return to the role ofFinnin Rey’s upcomingStar Warsmovie, rumored to be titledStar Wars: New Jedi Order, but after Boyega’s most recent interview, I sadly think that’s very unlikely.John Boyega directly called out racism inStar Warsin a recent interview, highlighting not only how few Black characters have been inStar Warsmovies and TV shows—especially in leading roles—but also how resistant to Black characters theStar Warsfandom is.
This isn’t the first time Boyega and other actors of color have addressed the franchise’s issue with racism. Following the backlash toThe AcolyteandThe Acolyte’scancelation, many actors from that show voiced their disappointment and frustration with the outright vitriol they’d experienced in response and the franchise’s reticence to address these online attacks. Even with this history, I’d (perhaps naively) hoped we’d see Boyega’s return, butJohn Boyega’s interview suggests that his return is all but out of the question.
John Boyega Was Badly Burned By Star Wars In The Past
Everyone Thought Finn Was Going To Be A Jedi
While this issue extends beyond just John Boyega’s experience playing Finn in theStar Warssequel trilogy—it’s much more widespread than that—Boyega has plenty of personal reasons for being frustrated with this pattern inStar Wars. Specifically, everyone (including Boyega himself) believed Finn was going to be a Jedi in the sequel trilogy. In fact, many believed he was going to betheJedi in the sequel trilogy.
Everyone (including Boyega himself) believed Finn was going to be a Jedi in the sequel trilogy.
Marketing forStar Wars: The Force Awakensand many scenes within that movie heavily hinted that Finn was a Jedi, which included him wielding Anakin Skywalker’s iconic blue lightsaber multiple times. Finn was even the first of the sequel trilogy characters to face off against Kylo Ren, the movie’s leading dark side Force user (though not a full-fledged Sith); Rey was much more hesitant to do so. Yet,Finn’s Force-sensitivity was never overtly confirmed in the sequels.
Worse still,Finn was clearly sidelined inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. He had a relatively prominent role inStar Wars: The Last Jedigiven his arc with Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran), yet both Finn and Rose were shockingly absent from most ofThe Rise of Skywalker. Some may try to claim this had nothing to do with race, but two of the most important sequel trilogy characters, both of whom are played by actors of color, being pushed to the side doesn’t feel coincidental, especially becauseStar Warsfaced backlash for these characters.
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Fans Have Been Hoping For Boyega’s Return
Finn Is A Beloved Character And Boyega Is A Beloved Actor
New Jedi Orderis amongStar Wars’upcoming moviesgetting the most attention, andmany were hoping to see John Boyega return and reprise his role as Finnin the movie. WithNew Jedi Orderset 15 years afterThe Rise of SkywalkerintheStar Warstimeline, this felt like a way to ameliorate some of the damage done, if not entirely improve Finn’s arc. One prominent theory was that Finn would have been trained by Rey in the time sinceThe Rise of Skywalker, perhaps even leading the Jedi Order alongside her as a Jedi Master.
One prominent theory was that Finn would have been trained by Rey in the time sinceThe Rise of Skywalker, perhaps even leading the Jedi Order alongside her as a Jedi Master.
While this obviously couldn’t change what was done with his character in the sequels, it would at least finally give Finn (and Boyega, by extension) the story he always deserved. This would also be a win for the franchise in general, asFinn becoming a Jedi would offer something truly new inStar Wars: an ex-stormtrooper becoming a Jedi for the very first time. This was a thrilling prospect in the sequels, and, although that trilogy wasted the opportunity, it would still be exciting to see inNew Jedi Order.
Boyega’s Latest Comments Suggest He Wouldn’t Want To Play The “Best Friend”
Unfortunately,John Boyega’s interview really does seem to suggest we won’t be seeing him on theStar Warsscreen again. In the same interview, Boyega explained:
“They’re okay with us playing the best friend, but once we touch their heroes, once we lead, once we trailblaze, it’s like, ‘Oh my God, it’s just a bit too much! They’re pandering!'”
This heavily hints (rightly so) that Boyega would not be willing to return toStar Warsjust to play second fiddle to other characters, especially white characters, which would almost certainly be the case inNew Jedi Order.
Star Wars: New Jedi Order - Cast, Story, Timeline & Everything We Know
Rey’s Star Wars return is happening in Star Wars: New Jedi Order. Here’s what is known about the story, cast, and release of Daisy Ridley’s film.
Daisy Ridley’s Rey is currently the only character confirmed forNew Jedi Order, andThe Rise of Skywalkerobviously positioned her as the future of the Jedi. This makes it clear that she will continue to be the lead inNew Jedi Orderjust as she was in the sequels. Ironically, though, Ridley herself saidRey’s story can’t continue without Finn and Poe. Sadly, she and Lucasfilm may not have a choice in the matter, based on how Boyega is feeling.
Honestly, I can’t blame Boyega for feeling this way, and I would certainly never begrudge him for choosing not to return. I share Boyega’s view both in terms of how Finn, Rose, and other characters (and actors) of color were treated throughout the sequels and regarding the need forStar Wars/Lucasfilm to finally address the issues of racism within the fanbase and the franchise. Still, I’m saddened to realize that the odds of John Boyega returning asFinninStar Wars: New Jedi Orderare seeming slimmer all the time.
