John Boyega didn't have the smoothest ride as Finn in the Star Wars sequels. Whether it was the heinous racist backlash from so-called "fans" (how dare Lucasfilm introduce a Black Stormtrooper!), a Chinese poster that erased his character, or Finn's underwhelming story arc, no one could blame the actor for not wanting to return to the franchise.
Well, based on comments in the video below (via SFFGazette.com), Boyega is more than happy to be done with Star Wars. He's previously shared his dissatisfaction with how he was used and the way the studio responded to the racist abuse he and other cast members faced, and now seems ready to move on from this Galaxy Far, Far Away.
"I think Finn is at a good confirmation point where you can just enjoy him in other things, the games, the animation," Boyega says. "But I feel like ‘[Episode] VII’ to ‘[Episode] IX’ was good for me."
Asked about how Ewan McGregor came to Moses Ingram's support when she faced racist abuse for starring in Obi-Wan Kenobi, the actor added, "Moses Ingram being protected makes me feel protected. Do you understand what I’m saying? It makes me feel like, ‘Okay, cool. I am not the elephant in the room.’ Because when I started, it wasn’t really a conversation you could bring up...for me, [it] fulfills my time where I didn’t get the support."
"It doesn’t make me feel bitter at all. It makes me feel like sometimes you are that guy. And my dad taught me that. Sometimes you’re not the guy to get the blessing and sometimes you are Moses, you know, you lead the people to the mountain, but you see the destination. You don’t get to go in, you get others to go in. And that’s where you get your happiness from."
"And for me to see other people accepted," Boyega concluded, "and then at the same time to see that the studios now are like, ‘Okay, cool. This is not an elephant-in-the-room conversation. We need to support our Black client.’ It’s fantastic."
Asked once more if he would consider returning as Finn, he stated, "At this point, I'm cool off it. I'm good off it."
Boyega's comments about how his situation was treated when compared to Ingram's are both very interesting and somewhat disheartening. It's baffling to think he didn't have that support from Disney and Lucasfilm at the time, but there's no denying that his decision to speak out in the past has forced the studios to take action moving forward.
It's a shame we probably won't see what came next for Finn in the Star Wars Universe, but there's always a chance the actor will change his mind. Failing that, there's always tie-in material...