John Boyega: Star Wars ‘most whitest, elite space'

The Hill

01-04-2025

British actor John Boyega is blasting racism among the Star Wars fanbase — and the creators behind the historic franchise who cave to their demands.
'Lemme tell ya, Star Wars always had the vibe of being in the most whitest, elite space,' Boyega said in an interview with the new documentary series 'Number One on the Call Sheet.'
It's not the first time Boyega has criticized the franchise, previously telling Disney, '[D]o 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.'
Boyega, who played ex-stormtrooper Finn from 2015 to 2019, was initially meant to co-lead in 'The Force Awakens' and 'The Last Jedi,' but wound up with a supporting role in 'The Rise of Skywalker.'
At the time, he accused the franchise of giving 'all the nuance' to his white co-stars Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver.
'You knew what to do with these other people, but when it came to Kelly Marie Tran, when it came to John Boyega, you know f— all,' he said.
Before the Disney+ spinoffs, the most well-known Black actors in the Star Wars franchise were Billy Dee Williams in the original series and Samuel L. Jackson in the George Lucas-directed prequels.
'They're OK with us playing the best friend, 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!'' Boyega said in the new Apple TV+ documentary.
The franchise has tried to expand its diversity but has faced major backlash from fans in response.
Amandla Stenberg, who starred in 'The Acolyte' before it was canceled, said she faced 'hyper-conservative bigotry and vitriol, prejudiced hatred and hateful language.'
Kelly Marie Tran, who had a main role in 2017's 'The Last Jedi,' deleted her social media after enduring months of racist and sexist abuse. Tran, who is Vietnamese-American, was the first woman of color to play a major role in the series.
Boyega said he believes the lack of diversity in Star Wars stems directly from fans who do not want to see non-white actors 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. It's like, they just scattered that in there, bro!'
Despite his criticism, Boyega said his time with the franchise became a pivotal point for his acting career.
''The Force Awakens' to me was a fundamental moment,' he said. 'We waited months for that. When that big call came in, that's that call that all those stars talk about that changed their life and stuff. It's like, 'That's it? That's the call!' It's such an attack on reality.'