*Actor John Boyega says he learned how to better navigate the industry after his experience with Disney’s “Star Wars,” and how the studio treated his character Finn in the sequel trilogy.
In a recent interview with The Times (via CBR), Boyega reflected on playing a First Order Stormtrooper, saying “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,” he added.
Boyega appears as Finn in 2015’s “The Force Awakens,” 2017’s “The Last Jedi” and 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker.”
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“I feel like the arc that J.J. tried to tie up, that’s where I feel comfortable with the release of him,” Boyega continued. J.J. Abrams directed “The Force Awakens” and co-created “The Rise of Skywalker” with Colin Trevorrow. Rian Johnson helmed “The Last Jedi.”
Disney has not released any new “Star Wars” films since 2019. Instead, a series of shows have debuted on Disney+, such as “The Mandalorian,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” “The Book of Boba Fett,” and “Andor.”
Boyega said he’s been able to “enjoy” these new series “as a fan.”
“I’m enjoying the balance of all things,” he added.
He previously addressed the treatment of Black characters in the Star Wars trilogy, accusing Disney of wanting to profit off ethnic actors before pushing them to the sideline.
“You get yourself involved in projects and you’re not necessarily going to like everything,” he told British GQ magazine. “[But] 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.”
