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Star Wars is arguably the most beloved franchise in the film world. The beloved space opera has entertained moviegoers for decades, resulting in entire generations of rabid fans. The conversation around George Lucas' colorful world has been constant since Disney kickstarted the property back up, with The Rise of Skywalker ending the nine-film narrative that began with A New Hope. And it turns out that John Boyega's character Finn got his name as a reference to Lucas' original blockbuster.
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope was the blockbuster that started the entire franchise, which grew into a pop culture sensation that is still dominating pop culture. The last three movies introduced a new set of characters to interact with the likes of Han, Luke, and Leia. Chief among them is John Boyega's Stormtrooper turned Resistance Leader Finn aka FN-2187. Those numbers are actually a reference to Leia's appearance in the OG blockbuster. As Star Wars' social media recently revealed,
Mind blown. J.J. Abrams is obviously a big fan of the Star Wars franchise, and his enthusiasm over the galaxy far, far away is apparent in easter eggs like this. While Abrams made liberal changes to the franchise's official canon, there is a clear respect over George Lucas' vision and contribution to the film world. Cue Finn's name as Stormtrooper.
This latest Star Wars revelation comes to us from the franchise's official Twitter page. In response to an Avengers: Endgame visual easter egg, the beloved franchise offered some new details about John Boyega's signature character. Namely, that the numbers associated with his "name" as a Stormtrooper were chosen as a reference to the cell Leia was held in on the Death Star in A New Hope.
John Boyega's character was quickly renamed Finn by Oscar Isaac's Poe Dameron, in a moment that would kickstart shippers of the two heroes. The only one to continue referring to him as FN-2187 was Gwendoline Christie's Captain Phasma. Although we all know what happened to that chrome villain by the end of The Last Jedi.
Star Wars fans can re-watch the Skywalker Saga on Disney+. You can use this link for a free 7-day trial to the streaming service.
The Star Wars franchise had a lasting impact on the film world as a whole, with George Lucas' vision influencing countess sci-fi movies that would follow over the years. J.J. Abrams and company wanted this legacy to be honored when he began the sequel trilogy with The Force Awakens. And while Rian Johnson took over and subverted expectations in The Last Jedi, Abrams returned to the director's chair for The Rise of Skywalker and brought Palpatine back in a way to connect the sequels with the previous two trilogies.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is currently available on digital, DVD, and Blu-ray. Be sure to check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
