John Boyega Is Moving Past The Treatment Of Finn In Star Wars' Sequel Trilogy
Finn's gonna be alright.
Before "Star Wars" made him a household name, John Boyega was an up and comer who only had a handful of roles under his belt, including the lead role in Joe Cornish's "Attack the Block." As the monumental release of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" approached, Boyega's Finn was strategically marketed as the film's lead, a disillusioned stormtrooper who joins the Resistance. The sequel trilogy, however, went in a largely different direction, focusing on Rey's (Daisy Ridley) relationship with the force and Skywalker clan.
While Finn wasn't treated with the same reverence as other sequel trilogy characters, Boyega has come to terms with the decisions made. In a candid chat with The Times of London, the actor opened up about how he's been able to move past his not-so-perfect "Star Wars" experience. "For me 'Star Wars' has made the man, in a sense," the actor 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."
Since his debut appearance as Finn, Boyega has become one of the industry's most involved and exciting stars, boasting appearances in "The Woman King" and Steve McQueen's "Red, White, and Blue." While Boyega certainly has an even more promising career ahead of him, how does he view his "Star Wars" end? With acceptance.
John Boyega enjoys Star Wars as a fan now
Continuing his chat with the outlet, John Boyega said he's fine with the Finn's arc ending in "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker." The ninth film in the Skywalker saga featured Finn reuniting with Rey (Ridley) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), and a slew of other notable characters who dominated the sequel trilogy. "I feel like the arc that [director] JJ [Abrams] tried to tie up, that's where I feel comfortable with the release of him," Boyega said. The actor continued by mentioning that since his "Star Wars" experience wrapped up, he's been able to enjoy the franchise's recent offerings, like "The Mandalorian" or "Obi-Wan Kenobi" as a fan. "I'm enjoying the balance of all things."
This wasn't always the case for Boyega, however. Following the release of "The Rise of Skywalker," the actor publicly called out the franchise for dropping the ball on Finn, and rightfully so. "[What] I would say to Disney is do not bring out a black character, market them to be much more important in the franchise than they are and then have them pushed to the side," the actor told GQ UK in 2020. "It's not good. I'll say it straight up." In the same interview, Boyega expressed that he was the "only cast member whose experience of 'Star Wars' was based on their race."
While there are plans for an upcoming "Star Wars" film to be set after "The Rise of Skywalker," it remains to be seen if Finn, Rey, and Poe will return. And even if Disney did want to bring Finn back, it's unclear if Boyega would want to return to role, and we can't blame him.