This isn't the first time John Boyega has slammed Star Wars and Disney: since the release of the latest installment in the postlogy, the actor who plays Finn hasn't minced his words when it comes to the company's racism. The actor has repeatedly rebelled against the treatment of non-white characters in the saga, and more than six years after The Rise of Skywalker, he continues to denounce the studios.
Star Wars: John Boyega denounces a racist saga
The young 33-year-old British actor of Nigerian origin became world famous in the 1990s. 2010 thanks to his role as Finn in the new Star Wars trilogy. Produced by Disney after the acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012, this third foray into the very, very distant universe of the Jedi and the Sith was not unanimously welcomed by fans. Upon the release of The Force Awakens, John Boyega was subjected to racist attacks on the internet, under the pretext that his Black Stormtrooper character is inconsistent with the canon. The actor has always defended himself against his detractors, and upon the release of The Rise of Skywalker in 2019, he also denounced Disney's responsibility. According to him, the big-eared company is racist, and based a large part of the promotion of the latest Star Wars around the diversity of a cast whose use did not prove to be in line with the said advertising.
Star Wars: John Boyega attacks Disney again
John Boyega has launched a fight against the House of Mickey Mouse, and he hasn't said his last word. As the cast of The Acolyte, whose real reason for cancellation you can read here, has received a barrage of online violence (review bombing, hate, racist attacks), John Boyega's recent comments to our colleagues at EW make perfect sense.
Let me tell you, Star Wars has always felt like the whitest, most elitist galaxy.... It's a franchise that's so white that a Black person existing in it is a subject. [...]They're okay with us playing the role of the best friend, but as soon as we touch their heroes, as soon as we take the lead, as soon as we lead the way, it's like: "Oh my God, this is a bit too much!It's propaganda!"
Star Wars: John Boyega annoyed by these references
Above all, don't mention Lando Calrissian and Mace Windu in front of John Boyega: these two iconic characters from the first and second trilogies are regularly cited to defend the saga from racist accusations, but the actor denounces a fake argument.
It's like asking me how many chocolate chips are in cookie dough. They just got thrown in there, bro!
For him, the saga's Black characters are relegated to subordinate plot points. And this is even more blatant in the latest trilogy, whose marketing for the first installment suggested that Finn was Force-sensitive and would become a Jedi. However, in the other two parts, he and Kelly Marie Tran, herself a victim of harassment, have only an anecdotal place in the story.
Disney's responsibility, highlighted by John Boyega, should not be overlooked: the company has not directly and firmly addressed the sexist and racist criticisms against its actors, and does not assume responsibility for its choices in terms of diversity. The studios' lack of a clear position regarding its actors of color is one of the reasons for this outpouring of hatred.
And you, what do you think?
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