John Boyega Leaves 'Star Wars' Franchise for This SHOCKING Reason, Racism Involved?
May the force be with Finn. "Star Wars" star John Boyego announced that he will not be returning to one of the highest-grossing sci-fi film franchises.
In a recent interview with SiriusXM, the 30 year old actor expressed his thoughts on returning to the sci-fi blockbuster franchise in future films. His last appearance on the film franchise was in 2019 in "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
"At this point I'm cool off it. I'm good off it. I think Finn is at a good confirmation point where you can just enjoy him in other things, the games, the animation." Boyega explained. "But I feel like Episode VII to Episode IX was good for me. To be fair, [with] the allies that I've found with Joel Taylor and Jamie Foxx, Teyonah Parris, Viola Davis, all these people I've been working with... versatility is my path."
His decision to leave the franchise is contrary to his statement last year, wherein he mentioned the possibility of him returning as Finn if Kathleen Kennedy and J.J. Abrams were involved in the film.
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Racism From Fanbase?
In the same interview with SiriusXM, Boyega talked about the blatant racism he experienced from "Star Wars" fans in his role as Finn, and how no one wanted to address the issue. However, he praised his team for being more vocal now about it regarding Moses Ingram's debut.
"Moses Ingram being protected makes me feel protected. Do you understand what I'm saying? It makes me feel like, 'Okay, cool. I am not the elephant in the room.' Because when I started, it wasn't really a conversation you could bring up." Boyega explained. "But now to see how blatant it is, to see Ewan McGregor come and support... for me, it fulfills my time where I didn't get the support."
Co-star Ewan McGregor, who plays Obi Wan Kenobi, has been one of the vocal ones in defending Moses Ingram from toxic comments, even releasing a video statement to address the issue.
Additionally, Mark Hamill, who plays the iconic Luke Skywalker, also posted his support for Kelly Marie Tran amidst racist comments, telling fans to #GetALifeNerds in this tweet.
John Boyega is set to star in the historical epic "The Woman King" this September 16.