There are popular movie franchises, and then there’s Star Wars. Generations were brought up on the galaxy far, far away, resulting in an extremely passionate fanbase. Said fandom definitely made their voices known as the sequel trilogy was released, and made drastic changes to the official canon. It also intrigued a trio of new heroes in Rey, Poe, and Finn. The latter was played by actor John Boyega, who recently discussed the “curse” that comes with the franchise, while also reflecting on his decision to accept his signature role. Somebody cue the theme song!
John Boyega became a household name after debuting as the former Stormtrooper Finn in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He reprised that role in the two sequels (Boyega recently ranked the sequel trilogy), although fans are hoping to see him return sooner rather than later. He spoke to Vanity Fair about his time in that sci-fi property, saying:
I think the great thing a franchise does is it puts you in a position to be discussed and considered for certain types of roles, but then it also comes with a challenge where you have to diversify. You have to have versatility. When the franchise is done, the question of what you're doing next, what your longevity is, starts to become quite prominent. And also, when it's Star Wars specifically, you want to not have the Star Wars curse, which is, you don't get to do other roles and are tied to that universe for the rest of your career. I think I was just always working against that notion.
This makes a ton of sense. It’s very easy for actors to be typecast in Hollywood, especially when tied to a major film franchise. Some Star Wars actors have had a hard time getting work after occupying George Lucas’ colorful franchise. And as such, Boyega has been choosing his projects very carefully in the time since The Rise of Skywalker ended.
John Boyega’s comments to Vanity Fair come as he’s promoting his role in the new movie They Cloned Tyrone (see the reviews here) which is available with a Netflix subscription. In addition to that sci-fi comedy, he also was seen recently opposite Viola Davis in The Woman King. We’ll just have to see if/when he returns to Finn.
In that same interview, John Boyega discussed how the Star Wars sequel trilogy characters were received by the fandom. He still sees a distinction between that trio and the original heroes like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, or Leia Organa. In his words:
I still feel like the new legacy characters can't necessarily claim that yet. I still think that there are the Mark Hamills, Harrison Fords, Carrie Fishers of the world. We haven't necessarily claimed that position yet. But we are following in those footsteps, in a sense. You have to wait. Maybe ask me again when more years pile on.
Honestly, it’s going to be hard for anyone to reach the Star Wars fame of the original heroes. Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and the late Carrie Fisher remain beloved by the fandom, even if they had reduced roles in the sequels.
As previously mentioned, there are Star Wars fans who are hoping to see John Boyega return to the role of Finn on the big screen. Many are hoping that he might have a role in the upcoming Rey movie, which will star Daisy Ridley. We’ll just have to wait and see what Lucasfilm has up its sleeve, and if Finn finally gets to train as a Jedi.
It’s unclear when the newly announced Star Wars movies will hit theaters. But the franchise continues to expand thanks to live-action shows. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
