Being one of the biggest and longest franchises in Hollywood, Star Wars has introduced and bid farewell to numerous characters over the years. However, not everyone was content with how their journey was narrated in the space opera. John Boyega, who joined the franchise as the First Order stormtrooper in The Force Awakens, has shared similar thoughts about his character’s treatment.
In an interview with GQ, the actor expressed disappointment over how his character faded in the sequels following the 2015 film and also claimed that black characters are often pushed to the side in the franchise.
John Boyega Gets Critical About Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Talking about the Star Wars sequel trilogy in a 2020 interview with GQ, John Boyega admitted that he is not too pleased with Finn’s character development. He criticized the franchise’s treatment of characters of color, claiming that the makers market them as important elements of the story, only to sideline them later.
“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. It’s not good. I’ll say it straight up.”
His character, Finn, who initially wielded a lightsaber and seemed to have a significant role, was sidelined as the story progressed. Boyega claimed that it was not limited to his character only, as he shared that it also extended to other actors of color as well, including Naomi Ackie, Kelly Marie Tran, and Oscar Isaac.
John Boyega Spoke Up on Star Wars Treatment of Characters of Color
John Boyega further claimed that the makers knew how to develop and give “nuance” to certain characters like Rey and Kylo Ren, played by Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver, respectively. But they failed to do the same when it comes to a character of color.
“Like, you guys knew what to do with Daisy Ridley, you knew what to do with Adam Driver,” he said before adding, “But when it came to Kelly Marie Tran, when it came to John Boyega, you know f*ck all.” However, despite saying all that, Boyega claimed he was not exposing anything or anyone, as he said, “Let’s be honest. Daisy knows this. Adam knows this. Everybody knows,” emphasizing that the issue goes beyond his personal experience and is an industry-wide problem that needs acknowledgment and rectification.
The Star Wars sequel trilogy is available on Disney+.
