The new Star Wars trilogy revitalized the Star Wars community (for good or for bad). Now, John Boyega (Finn) is speaking out about the racial undertones of his role in the movies.
In a new interview with GQ, Boyega expresses his displeasure at the route his characters story took. “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 complaint is also one many fans and critics of the show have brought up.
Boyega’s character, Finn, is a black stormtrooper who abandons his place in the First Order to join the resistance. Although he was heavily promoted as a featured actor in the films, Boyega and fans felt his character was sidelined. What started as a character fans could focus on, turned into the comic relief. By the 3rd movie, Finn was more of a battle accessory than a fully developed character.
Boyega wasn’t only upset about the treatment he received, but also other POC in the films. Specifically, Kelly Marie Tran (Rose Pico). “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 f*ck all.” He continues with “So what do you want me to say? What they want you to say is, ‘I enjoyed being a part of it. It was a great experience…’ Nah, nah, nah. I’ll take that deal when it’s a great experience. They gave all the nuance to Adam Driver, all the nuance to Daisy Ridley. Let’s be honest. Daisy knows this. Adam knows this. Everybody knows. I’m not exposing anything.”
Boyega’s interview continues to talk about being black in Hollywood, and the Black Lives matter movement. You can read the full interview here.