There are few movie franchises quite as massive and beloved as Star Wars. Landing a role in the galaxy far, far away is the dream job for many, but it can also be a double-edged sword. Since The Rise of Skywalker was released, Finn actor John Boyega has been honest regarding the downside to playing the former Stormtrooper. And he doesn’t understand why he can’t complain about Star Wars when Robert Pattinson regularly does the same thing with Twilight.
Major franchises come with their own complications for stars, including fan criticism and a lack of private life. While the public is seemingly delighted when Robert Pattinson pokes fun at his Twilight past, John Boyega doesn’t feel that same ability from the Star Wars community. He recently spoke to the reaction he got from the public, saying:
I just saw a cycle of endless baiting that I wanted to call out. I was kind of surprised that people were so like, ‘Bloody hell . . . [that he was speaking out] I love Robert Pattinson but he gets to talk shit about his films, [so] why can’t I?
Well, he’s got a point. Plenty of actors have reflected on their less-than-ideal time working on major franchises. Just look at John Boyega’s co-star Oscar Isaac, who has been open about how miserable it was to film X-Men: Apocalypse. Regardless, the response to his words versus that of Twilight alum Robert Pattinson is quite different.
John Boyega’s comments to The Times helps to show what it’s really like working within the world of Star Wars. Or more specifically, what it’s like once you step out of the Millennium Falcon and back into the real world. Boyega made plenty of headlines about the difficulties he faced while playing Finn in the last three movies. He even worried that using his platform for social justice might end his career.
Later in that same interview, John Boyega was asked about how Disney did or did not react to the various public comments he’d made about Star Wars. He previously confirmed that he had a great conversation with Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy about his experience. But as far as the House of Mouse goes:
Disney don’t talk about things like that. Unless it’s Scarlett Johansson and a lawsuit I don’t think they open their mouth.
There you have it. Sounds like while John Boyega may have faced some online critics as a result of his post-Star Wars talk, received no pushback from Disney itself. Could this mean that he might return as Finn sometime in the future? Only time will tell.
What John Boyega Previously Said About His Star Wars Experience.
A while after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hit theaters, John Boyega began opening up about his experience working within the galaxy far, far away. He shared harrowing stories of racial backlash from the fans that came from his original casting in The Force Awakens. It was an experience that ultimately sullied his time as Finn, despite putting a spirited performance into each installment of the sequel trilogy.
John Boyega has also criticized the way his character was handled in the trilogy. He felt Finn was sidelined after Star Wars: The Force Awakens seemingly confirmed that he was Force sensitive. Boyega would go on to advocate for more from his character, although we ultimately never got to see him as a Jedi. He also went so far as to call franchise work “luxury jail”, as the scheduling prevents actors from taking on another projects.
The Star Wars franchise continues to grow with shows on Disney+, as well as the developing movie installments. Be sure to check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
