It's a good time to be a Star Wars fan. J.J. Abrams' The Force Awakens signaled a new age of Star Wars films, and introduced a new trio of protagonists to carry the torch from the likes of Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher. One of the newcomers is John Boyega's Finn. The character is charming and flawed, and The Force Awakens was the first time that many audiences were introduced to Boyega. He's since been booking high profile movies left and right, and recently revealed why he's been so eager to take on more acting jobs on his breaks from the Star Wars franchise: he wants to be more than just Finn to moviegoers.
John Boyega has been doing a fair amount of press for his role in crime drama Detroit. When speaking with THR about the project, he revealed why he signed on, saying:
I knew I wanted to work between the [Star Wars] films. Because I understand most of the population would probably be introduced to me through Star Wars, and not all of them would go back to see my early work, so there was obviously something to prove, in terms of versatility and the other stuff I could do.
This seems like a pretty great plan, and shows what a good head John Boyega seems to have on his shoulders. Similar to asking Robert Downey Jr. on how to properly handle fame, Boyega seems to be really thinking about how to optimize his budding career in the lime light, and he's picked some fantastic projects to join.
To start, John Boyega is attached to another popular sci-fi franchise: Pacific Rim. He'll be playing the lead male in Pacific Rim: Uprising, which is set to arrive in theaters this coming March. This role will likely help keep Boyega at the front of the minds of nerd-culture obsessed audiences, which is no doubt his main demographic of fans. He's also a producer on the film, which will help him cement himself as a real player in Hollywood.
John Boyega also took roles in two dramas: The Circle and Detroit. The former was an ambitious (albeit poorly received) thriller that allowed him to work with the likes Tom Hanks, Karen Gillan, and Emma Watson. Unfortunately the film failed to perform at the box office or critically, but it still helped moviegoers associate Boyega in a role other than Finn.
On the other end, Detroit has received a ton of positive attention. The film is based off of real events during the infamous 1967 Detroit Riots, and was released on the 50th anniversary of the real life events. So John Boyega is certainly on his way to becoming a versatile actor known for a variety of different roles.
Detroit is currently in theaters, and you can catch Star Wars: The Last Jedi on December 15th. In the meantime, check out our 2017 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
