John Boyega has some choice words for Star Wars fans who have a problem with casting non-white actors. As Lucasfilm has ramped up its Star Wars output, certain segments of the fanbase have become more vocal when it comes to bashing diversity. The Sequel Trilogy has added some much-needed diversity to the Star Wars franchise, with Boyega’s former stormtrooper-turned Resistance fighter Finn as a perfect example. Boyega has never been afraid to speak his mind when it comes to Finn’s place in the Star Wars franchise, but this time he’s speaking out against prejudice.
“Lemme tell ya, Star Wars always had the vibe of being in the most whitest, elite space,” John Boyega said during an appearance in the Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood documentary. “It’s a franchise that’s so white that a Black person existing in [it] was something.”
Boyega then commented on the belief that just because there have been Black Star Wars actors in the past — Billy Dee Williams and Samuel L. Jackson — that it solves whatever diversity issues Star Wars is suffering from. “You can always tell it’s something when some Star Wars fans try to say, ‘Well, we had Lando Calrissian and had Samuel L. Jackson!'” he said. “It’s like telling me how many cookie chips are in the cookie dough. It’s like, they just scattered that in there, bro!”
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He added, “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!'”
The Finn actor recently spoke about how he gave filmmaker J.J. Abrams one request when he returned to direct Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. “I was doing a lot of falling in Star Wars,” Boyega said during a spotlight panel at Emerald City Comic Con. “I was always falling. Come on guys, be honest with me. You know I was always falling. So, I was like to J.J., ‘Can I be on my feet a little bit longer?’”
Boyega also lobbied for Finn to continue growing as a character, while also experiencing moments of triumph. “There was a level of growth from The Last Jedi to The Rise of Skywalker that me and J.J. had spoke about adding,” he said. “I was like to J.J., ‘I’m sick and tired of eating dirt J.J., I know how to move. My lightsaber skills are undeniable. Get me out there on the field.’ I remember J.J. coming up to me and saying, ‘John, we’ve got you, we’ve got Poe, we’ve got Chewbacca running through the corridors, taking out these stormtroopers.’ And that’s when I said, ‘Yeah, that’s enough.’ That was a nice moment and something for me to revel in.”
The actor has previously said that he’s “open to all opportunities” when it comes to a return to the Star Wars franchise. However, he prefaced it by saying it would depend on who the creatives were behind the scenes and what story they had to tell.
“That was a few years ago, so they were the subject of that particular project,” Boyega clarified to TechRadar in regards to vocalizing his prior frustrations with Lucasfilm. “But I’m open to all characters and scripts that are enjoyable, have a great cast attached, and a terrific director. So yeah, I’m open to all opportunities.”
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