Actor John Boyega, known for playing Finn in the Star Wars franchise, lashed out at Disney and fans over their supposed disregard for Black characters in the series.
The actor appeared in a new documentary titled “Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood.” During a discussion about issues Black actors face, he said, “Lemme tell ya, Star Wars always had the vibe of being in the most whitest, elite space.”
Boyega further said, “It’s a franchise that’s so white that a Black person existing in [it] was something,” according to Entertainment Weekly.
Boyega went on to explain the inherent problems with the Star Wars films (and fans) making a big deal out of the incredibly small handful of Black characters. "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!'" he said. "It's like telling me how many cookie chips are in the cookie dough. It's like, they just scattered that in there, bro!"
The They Cloned Tyrone star went on to criticize certain fans' inability to accept Black actors in leading roles. "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!'"
Boyega is one of several minority actors in the Star Wars franchise who faced racist attacks from fans on social media. The Guardian published an article in 2014 detailing some of the racial comments made about his character.
The hashtag #BoycottStarWarsVII was started after trolls were angry over the casting of black actor John Boyega, claiming the film was promoting “white genocide”. The same user also referred to director JJ Abrams as a “Jewish activist”.
It started trending but other users took control of the hashtag and the majority of the tweets were calling out the bigotry behind its initial creation.
He has been a vocal critic of Disney’s handling of the issue since he played Finn, a former stormtrooper who later joins the rebellion.
During a 2020 interview, Boyega commented on how Disney handled his character. “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 said.
This is not the first time the Star Wars saga has faced criticism over its lack of minority characters. Filmmaker George Lucas, who created the galaxy far, far, away, often fielded criticisms over the issue. He dealt with the issue during the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
“They would say, ‘It’s all white men.’ Most of the people are aliens! The idea is you’re supposed to accept people for what they are, whether they’re big and furry or whether they’re green or whatever. The idea is all people are equal," Lucas argued.
Here's the thing – there were definitely people making racist remarks about the inclusion of minority actors in the Star Wars saga. I remember seeing them from the time that “The Force Awakens” was announced.
However, these are fringe elements that represent a minuscule portion of Star Wars fandom. Most fans enjoy seeing compelling characters set in vibrant stories about the ongoing struggle between the light and dark side of the Force. Most people don’t care what race the characters are. Indeed, even in the past, some griped about the lack of minority representation, but it did not keep them from enjoying the films.
It's also worth mentioning that most fans despised how Disney handled Boyega’s character – myself included. We saw how the company passed up an opportunity to develop a character that everyone loved. Instead of exploring Finn’s destiny as a Jedi, they relegated him to little more than comedic relief, almost like a slightly more serious version of Jar Jar Binks.
Whether they loved the sequels or hated them, most Star Wars fans liked John Boyega and agreed that Finn should have been the main character. It was the studio and directors he worked for who had a problem with a Black actor playing the lead hero, not the fans. https://t.co/FWPdoUMjHR pic.twitter.com/eR6UQcVQkV
— Steven Wayne (@StevenWayneArt) April 1, 2025
Moreover, it’s also worth noting that Lando Calrissian and Mace Windu are some of the most beloved characters in Star Wars lore. Each character played a pivotal role in the series’ chronology. Also, James Earl Jones will forever be revered for voicing Darth Vader, a performance that is nearly impossible to match.
When it comes to racial diversity in Star Wars, the fans are not the issue. This is a point Boyega misses. If anything, Disney is the culprit. Even in its various Disney Plus series, the company has found it challenging to balance decent storytelling with the demands of the woke left, whose mission is to ruin anything that might be fun.
There is nothing wrong with including actors and characters from a diverse array of backgrounds. Nobody is saying the series has to be predominantly white. But it seems folks like Boyega want the galaxy to look more like Black Panther (another great flick). This is the very antithesis of diversity. Star Wars takes place in space, not in Africa.
Unfortunately, this appears to be a trend among some minority actors. If they feel they are not adequately represented, they blast the fans – many of whom might be sympathetic to their concerns. If folks like Boyega want things to change for the better, perhaps they might start by not attacking the wrong targets.
