John Boyega explains why he won’t return to Star Wars

John Boyega has no plans on returning to the Star Wars franchise following the end of the Skywalker Saga.

Boyega made his debut as Finn in 2015’s The Force Awakens, playing a Stormtrooper racked with guilt over the First Order’s inhumane treatment of people across the galaxy, who manages to break free and team up with Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac).

Fans walking out of The Force Awakens would have expected Finn to play a large role in the sequel trilogy. However, through The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, his character was sidelined.

Boyega’s time in Star Wars began with racist attacks on social media and culminated with a controversial finale. For now, he’s “good” with his contributions to the franchise.

John Boyega says he won’t return to Star Wars

In an interview with SiriusXM ahead of the release of Breaking and The Woman King, Boyega spoke about Star Wars and whether he’d ever consider returning as Finn, especially given the expansion of the franchise on Disney+.

He said: “At this point I’m cool off it. I’m good off it. 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.

“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.”

John Boyega responds to racism against Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Moses Ingram

Much like Boyega, Moses Ingram was targeted with racism online following the first trailer for Obi-Wan Kenobi and the show’s arrival on Disney+. Soon after, she was supported by Lucasfilm and Ewan McGregor.

Boyega said: “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. 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.”