While it seemed that John Boyega was positioned to play a Stormtrooper-turned-Jedi in the Star Wars sequel trilogy following his lightsaber showdown with Kylo Ren in the finale of The Force Awakens, that ultimately didn’t pan out. Instead, Finn took a backseat in the sequel. But behind the scenes, Boyega was pushing for his character to do more.
“I was doing a lot of falling in Star Wars,” Boyega said at Emerald City Comic Con (thanks, Popverse). “So, I was like to J. J. [Abrams], ‘Can I be on my feet a little bit longer?’ There was a level of growth from The Last Jedi to The Rise of Skywalker that me and J. J. had spoken about adding. I was like, to J. J., ‘I’m sick and tired of eating dirt J. J. I know how to move. My lightsaber skills are undeniable. Get me out there on the field.”
My lightsaber skills are undeniable.
Abrams did exactly that, giving Finn more room to prove his combat prowess, while also explicitly hinting at him being Force-sensitive. “I remember J. J. coming up to me and saying, ‘John, we’ve got you, we’ve got Poe, we’ve got Chewbacca running through corridors, taking out these Stormtroopers.’ And that’s when I said, ‘Yeah, that’s enough.’ That was a nice moment and something for me to revel in.”
Finn’s Future In Star Wars
Star Wars has mostly focused on the original and prequel trilogies since The Rise of Skywalker, but there is a Rey movie in development that will explore the aftermath of The First Order’s collapse and Emperor Palpatine’s return, which begs the question: what about Finn?
Force-sensitive, it’s possible he could train to become a Jedi as Leia did following the events of the original movies, but it all hinges on: a) whether John Boyega wants to return, and b) if Disney wants to bring Finn back in the first place. However, in 2020, after the trilogy had concluded, Boyega was fairly critical of Disney and his role in Star Wars: “Do not bring out a Black character, market them to be more important to the franchise than they are, and then have them pushed to the side. It’s not good”, (as per Deadline).
Later, in 2023, he added that he feels “comfortable with the release of [Finn]” and where Abrams left the character, and has been able to enjoy the series now as a fan, but he stressed that he was still “open to all opportunities”. Rey actor Daisy Ridley, meanwhile, expressed interest in Boyega returning in her standalone movie. When asked by The Hollywood Reporter if the two should reunite, she said, “Absolutely, of course. It feels like we should”.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- Release Date
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December 18, 2015
- Runtime
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138 minutes
- Director
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J.J. Abrams
- Writers
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Lawrence Kasdan, J.J. Abrams, Michael Arndt
- Sequel(s)
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Star Wars: The Last Jedi