Star Wars sequel trilogy star John Boyega said that he has made peace with the frustrations he had with the franchise.
Speaking to The Times, Boyega reflected on his time spent as stormtrooper Finn, a role he first played in 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens. "For me, Star Wars has made the man, in a sense," Boyega said. "The experiences, the fun times, good times, ugly times, bad times, it makes you who you are as you navigate through the industry, and that has definitely been interesting."
Prior to his role in Star Wars, Boyega was primarily known for his role in Joe Cornish's 2011 science fiction film Attack the Block. After making his Star Wars franchise debut in The Force Awakens, he reprised the role for 2017's The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker in 2019. "I feel like the arc that J.J. tried to tie up, that’s where I feel comfortable with the release of him," Boyega said of J. J. Abrams, who directed and co-wrote the final film in the sequel trilogy, The Rise of Skywalker. "Since then, I’ve been able to enjoy, as a fan, The Mandalorian and Obi-Wan Kenobi. I’m enjoying the balance of all things."
Boyega has been vocal about his frustrations with Disney and the Star Wars franchise in the past, including Finn's overall character arc and the studio's treatment of actors of color in general. "Do not bring out a black character, market them to be much more important to the franchise than they are and then have them pushed to the side. It’s not good," he said at the time. "Like, you guys knew what to do with Daisy Ridley, you knew what to do with Adam Driver. You knew what to do with these other people, but when it came to Kelly Marie Tran, when it came to John Boyega, you know fuck all."
Since making these comments, Boyega has spoken to Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy about Star Wars' race problem. More recently, in August 2022, the actor confirmed that he still considers himself a Star Wars fan. "Industry issues have nothing to do with Star Wars and me being a fan of it," he said. "I'm still forever going to be a fan of this franchise. As far as Finn is concerned? I'm good on that."
Will John Boyega Ever Return to Star Wars?
Although there are many other Star Wars projects currently in production, there is no indication that Boyega will come back to the franchise. In August 2022, the actor himself shot down any hopes that he would return as Finn in a future franchise entry. "I think Finn is at a good confirmation point where you can just enjoy him in other things, the games, the animation. But I feel like '[Episode] VII' to '[Episode] IX' was good for me," he said.
Boyega is set to star in Netflix's They Cloned Tyrone, a science fiction comedy in which he will star alongside Jamie Foxx, Kiefer Sutherland and Teyonah Parris. It is scheduled to be released on July 21. All Star Wars-related media, including the entirety of the Skywalker Saga, are available to stream on Disney+.
Source: The Times