John Boyega, who played ex-Stormtrooper turned hero Finn in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, is being candid about his feelings when it comes to the toxicity and racism in a rather vocal segment of the fandom. Via Entertainment Weekly, we learned that Boyega spoke up about the subject in the new Apple TV+ original documentary Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood. And it’s fair to say he didn’t mince any words. Here’s what he had to say on the subject:
Lemme tell ya, Star Wars always had the vibe of being in the most whitest, elite space. It’s a franchise that’s so white that a Black person existing in [it] was something. You can always tell it’s something when some Star Wars fans try to say, ‘Well, we had Lando Calrissian and had Samuel L. Jackson!’ It’s like telling me how many chocolate chips are in the cookie dough. It’s like, they just scattered that in there, bro! They’re okay with us playing the best friend, 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!
We don’t think he’s wrong or exaggerating at all. Boyega faced racist harassment on social media from the moment he first appeared in the trailer for The Force Awakens. And it didn’t stop there, continuing throughout the course of the series. In its wake, an entire cottage industry of bigoted (and monetized) Star Wars fandom has sprung up. This all replicated when The Acolyte came out. Before anyone saw a frame of that series, star Amandla Stenberg was the target of racist trolls online. Sadly, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Will Disney/Lucasfilm give in to the vocal haters going forward? Who can even say in this climate? Rumors abound that Boyega will be a part of Daisy Ridley’s Rey-centric movie. But the next confirmed Star Wars film is said to star Ryan Gosling as the lead. We love Gosling, of course, but it is telling that they are leaning into having a white male star as the franchise lead again. Almost as if they’re actively avoiding angering the worst people online. Maybe Lucasfilm could give Boyega a film where he’s a Jedi at last, as the last trilogy suggests he could be. Who cares if it makes the worst people angry? After everything, it’s the least John Boyega deserves.
Content shared from nerdist.com.