John Boyega has revisited his experience with the Star Wars franchise in a new Apple TV+ documentary, offering fresh comments that are once again stirring debate among fans. In Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood, Boyega shared his views on the franchise’s perceiced lack of representation and takes aim at the fanbase instead of the studio.
“Star Wars always had the vibe of being in the most whitest, elite space,” Boyega said during the documentary. “It’s a franchise that’s so white that a Black person existing in [it] was something.”
John Boyega as Finn in Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens – Disney+
John Boyega pushed back on common rebuttals from fans who point to legacy characters like Lando Calrissian or Mace Windu as examples of diversity in the franchise.
“You can always tell it’s something when some Star Wars fans try to say, ‘Well, we had Lando Calrissian and had Samuel L. Jackson!’” he said. “It’s like telling me how many cookie chips are in the cookie dough. They just scattered that in there, bro!”
Boyega added that while being cast in Star Wars was a major opportunity, the reaction to his character becoming a lead was revealing.
“They’re okay with us playing the best friend,” he said. “But once we touch their heroes, once we lead, once we trailblaze, it’s like, ‘Oh my God, it’s just a bit too much! They’re pandering.’”
John Boyega as Finn in Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens – Disney+
The remarks have reignited an ongoing conversation about Boyega’s role in the sequel trilogy and his evolving relationship with the franchise. Many fans originally embraced Finn’s storyline in The Force Awakens, where he was introduced as a defected Stormtrooper seemingly being set up to become a Jedi. Trailers and early marketing positioned him as a central figure—something that resonated with audiences.
However, in a typical JJ Abrams style bait and switch, Rey was revealed to be the Jedi instead. In the following films, Finn’s arc was notably diminished, and his Force sensitivity was downplayed. By the time The Rise of Skywalker was released, some fans felt the character had been reduced to comic relief, far from the lead role that had been teased. And they complained about it loudly.
Disney also noticeably shrank and diminished Boyega on the promotional poster for the Chinese market, a movie that was seen by many to be the House of Mouse placating racial prejudices within the Middle Kingdom.
A comparison of the American and Chinese Posters for Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens – X, @knightsofmelvin
In a 2020 interview with GQ, Boyega publicly criticized Disney’s handling of his character. “What I would say to Disney is do not bring out a Black character, market them to be much more important in the franchise than they are, and then have them pushed to the side. It’s not good. I’ll say it straight-up.”
He continued: “You guys knew what to do with Daisy Ridley, you knew what to do with Adam Driver. But when it came to Kelly Marie Tran, when it came to John Boyega, you know nothing. They gave all the nuance to Adam Driver, all the nuance to Daisy Ridley. Let’s be honest. Daisy knows this. Adam knows this. Everybody knows. I’m not exposing anything.”
Those remarks struck a chord with many longtime fans who had similarly voiced frustration over Finn’s diminished role. In the same interview, Boyega revealed that a Disney executive reached out after his comments were published. He described the conversation as “very honest” and “very transparent,” and said he hoped the exchange would open the door to more meaningful discussions in the industry.
Finn battles Captain Phasma in Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi – Disney+
However, by 2023, following the announcement of a new Star Wars film centered around Rey, Boyega’s tone suddenly and miraculously began to shift.
In an interview with TechRadar, he noted that he was interested in returning to Star Wars.
Boyega notoriously said: “I’m open to all characters and scripts that are enjoyable, have a great cast attached and a terrific director.”
He also told The Times of London: “For me, Star Wars has made the man, in a sense. … The experiences, the fun times, good times, ugly times, bad times—it makes you who you are as you navigate through the industry, and that has definitely been interesting.”
I’m convinced John Boyega has never met an actual Star Wars fan because ‘Finn should have been the main character’ is an incredibly popular opinion. https://t.co/C2JJVMrfEQ
— Marshal Bohemond ⚔️⛨ (@HMBohemond) March 31, 2025
This shift in tone has not gone unnoticed among fans, particularly those who championed the idea that Finn should have been given a more prominent arc. Some have pointed out the irony of Boyega criticizing fans now, when many had spent years defending both the character and the actor’s original criticisms of Lucasfilm.
The controversy also highlights a recurring pattern with Lucasfilm and its handling of fan response. During and after the release of The Last Jedi, several actors and creatives associated with the franchise suggested that audience backlash was due to fan expectations rather than creative decisions—an approach that some say deflects accountability from the studio.
John Boyega attacking the fan base who, has maintained for years, that the sequels did him dirty and that his character, Finn, should have been the MAIN character.
The same fan base who railed against Disney reducing his image on the Chinese poster.
Where was this fire when… https://t.co/RWDv2Q4x5c
— Aaron Sparrow™ is a JERK! (@Aaron_Sparrow) March 31, 2025
Boyega’s comments come at a time when the Star Wars brand is the weakest it has ever been across streaming and theatrical platforms. With new projects in development, the long-term legacy of the sequel trilogy—and its characters—remains a point of debate.
How do you feel about John Boyega attacking Star Wars fans? Sound off in the comments below and let us know.
UP NEXT: Barbie Director Rumored to Pick Meryl Streep to Play Gender Swapped Aslan in Narnia Reboot
He’s a perpetual victim. Rather than blame Disney for the poor job they did, he dunks on fans and then focuses entirely on his identity to shame them into giving him more work. Pathetic.
His race is 13% in America from an American IP. The whining over representation gets old.
The majority may take a chapter from his book and complain that most of the commercials, tv shows and movies nowadays don’t represent the majority. If this view gets called out as racist then so should this, never enough minority representation argument.
Disney did his character dirty, not us.
“Star Wars always had the vibe of being in the most whitest, elite space,” Boyega said during the documentary. “It’s a franchise that’s so white that a Black person existing in [it] was something.”
—-
Be leery anytime someone feels the need to capitalize one racial color but not others.
Capitalize all of the races in print–or none of them; of course that might actually appear EQUAL…
Most publications refuse to do that, and in return I don’t capitalize ‘black’…