British-Nigerian actor John Boyega has voiced strong criticism of the Star Wars franchise and its fanbase while reflecting on the racist backlash he faced during his time in the series.
In the two-part AppleTV+ documentary Number One on the Call Sheet, the 33-year-old actor stated that the franchise is “so White that it’s like, a Black person existing in [it] was something.” He added that Star Wars has always felt like “the most whitest, elite space.”
Boyega, who has previously claimed that his role was “sidelined” in favor of white co-stars Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver, expressed his frustration with fans who resist diverse casting.
“They’re fine with us playing the best friend,” he elaborated, “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!'”
In the franchise, Boyega portrayed Finn, the first Black ex-stormtrooper, appearing in The Force Awakens (2015) and its sequels, The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
He highlighted how some fans make a big deal about the limited number of Black characters in the series, noting, “You can always tell it’s something when some Star Wars fans try to say, ‘Well, we had Lando Calrissian and Samuel L. Jackson!’ It’s like telling me how many chocolate chips are in the cookie dough. They just scattered that in there, bro!”
Despite his criticisms, Boyega recognized that his first Star Wars film was “a fundamental moment” in his career and referred to it as the “opportunity of a lifetime.” He remembered waiting months for that pivotal call that actors dream about, saying, “When that big call came in, that’s the call that all those stars talk about that changed their life. It’s such an attack on reality.”
Boyega has previously voiced concerns about the diminishing role of his character from a co-lead in the first two movies to a much-reduced presence in The Rise of Skywalker.
“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,” he stated in a 2020 interview with British GQ. At that time, he criticized the trilogy for giving “all the nuance” to main characters Rey and Kylo Ren while sidelining his character.
