Despite speaking out on the negatives of his Star Wars experience in the past, Finn actor John Boyega has recently reflected rather sweetly on his time as the stormtrooper-turned-Resistance general. Since the Star Wars sequel trilogy ended in 2019, it has been no secret that Boyega had issues with his time in a galaxy far, far away. From Boyega's rightful criticism of Lucasfilm positioning a person of color as a Jedi only to strip that away from him to his lack of a character arc, Boyega has been refreshingly open about his time in Star Wars since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker's release.
That said, a recent interview with Ebony has seen Boyega reflecting much more positively on his Star Wars experience. In the interview, Boyega was asked how he feels about the last decade of his life, given that it has been almost 10 years since his casting in Star Wars: The Force Awakens was announced:
"I always think about the memories of the experience. The other day I was going through my phone, and I found a video of me and [costar] Oscar Isaac playing the video game Street Fighter between takes. You kind of miss these people after a while, like Oscar and Daisy [Ridley], and those connections that you made; the filmmaking experience, what I learned from watching the producers do their jobs — what that meant. And [when I] go to a store and see a Finn action figure or something, it just makes me chuckle. I feel like a retired superhero. It’s weird; this thing follows me wherever I go. But for me, it brings back the sweetest memories, and it reminds me of how far I’ve come independent of that.
This is certainly the most positive Boyega has been concerning his time at Star Wars. Boyega's comments prove that regardless of the criticisms he had of the experience - which were warranted in a lot of ways - working on Star Wars holds a special place in the actor's heart, largely due to the friendships he forged on set and the experience gained from working on a big Hollywood production.
Could Finn Return In Rey's New Jedi Order Movie?
Naturally, Boyega mentioning Star Wars in any capacity brings up the question of whether he will return as Finn. Since Daisy Ridley's Star Wars return as Rey Skywalker was announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023, the speculation has only increased wondering whether Star Wars' new Jedi Order will feature Finn. It was rumored - via THE HOT MIC - shortly after Ridley's return was announced that Disney was in talks with Boyega to also reprise his role as Finn, and Boyega's most recent comments certainly hint that this could now be possible.
As per Boyega's comments above, it is clear enough time has ed that the actor can look back on the experience much more fondly. Outside of this, Boyega brings up how far he has come away from Star Wars, something that will likely make him feel much more pleased about his experience given that the franchise has not typecast him in any way. With these elements in mind, it is more than possible that Finn could return in Rey's new Jedi Order movie, though fans will have to wait for confirmation from Disney or Boyega himself on a potential Star Wars return.
Source: Ebony, THE HOT MIC
