John Boyega Says He Won’t Return to ‘Star Wars’ Franchise
John Boyega became an international breakout star playing Finn in the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy. But the actor, who stars in upcoming films “Breaking” and “The Woman King,” doesn’t have much of an interest in returning to the galactic franchise.
“At this point I’m cool off it. I’m good off it,” Boyega said on SiriusXM’s “Tell Me Everything With John Fugelsang.” “I think Finn is at a good confirmation point where you can just enjoy him in other things, the games, the animation. But I feel like ‘[Episode] VII’ to ‘[Episode] IX’ was good for me.”
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Boyega added: “To be fair, [with] the allies that I’ve found within Joel Taylor and Jamie Foxx, Teyonah Parris, Viola Davis, all these people I’ve been working with… versatility is my path.”
Boyega also discussed his experience facing racism in the “Star Wars” fandom, an issue that “Obi-Wan Kenobi” star Moses Ingram dealt with earlier this year. Disney and Obi-Wan himself, Ewan McGregor, came to Ingram’s defense and publicly decried the racist backlash she was receiving.
“Moses Ingram being protected makes me feel protected. Do you understand what I’m saying? It makes me feel like, ‘Okay, cool. I am not the elephant in the room.’ Because when I started, it wasn’t really a conversation you could bring up,” Boyega said. “You know how they went through it. It was kind of like, let’s just be silent. It wasn’t a conversation you could bring up. But now to see how blatant it is, to see Ewan McGregor come and support… for me, [it] fulfills my time where I didn’t get the support.”
Boyega continued: “It doesn’t make me feel bitter at all. It makes me feel like sometimes you are that guy. And my dad taught me that. Sometimes you’re not the guy to get the blessing and sometimes you are Moses, you know, you lead the people to the mountain, but you see the destination. You don’t get to go in, you get others to go in. And that’s where you get your happiness from. And for me to see other people accepted, and then at the same time to see that the studios now are like, ‘Okay, cool. This is not an elephant in the room conversation. We need to support our Black client.’ It’s fantastic.”
Watch the clip from the interview below:
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