John Boyega was surprised to see the recent articles about him saying he’s willing to return to the “Star Wars” franchise because it’s not the first time he’s expressed interest.
However, the actor said during an interview for an upcoming episode of the Variety and iHeart podcast “The Big Ticket” that he’s in no hurry to reprise his work as Finn.
“At this moment, versatility is like the biggest thing for me right now,” Boyega said. “There are so many people I would really like to explore versatility [with], different roles and different characters. This is what I do. I enjoy what I do so to stay in one place could be sometimes hard.”
Boyega also said he’s been having “honest conversations” with Disney executives after he went public with complaints that he felt like his character was pushed aside in his “Star Wars” trilogy, even after the studio promoted his casting as a major step in diversifying the franchise.
He also said studios need to advocate for actors when they face backlash for their casting, especially when it revolves around race.
“When one of your actors, especially an actor that’s so prominent in the story, is announced as part of your franchise and then it has a big racial backlash and receives abuse online and that starts to form a shadow on what is supposed to be an amazing gift, it is important for the studios to definitely lend their voice, lend their support to that and to have a sense of solidarity not just in the public eye, but on the ground on set,” he said.
In an explosive interview with GQ in September, Boyega took Disney to task for how he and Kelly Marie Tran were treated.
“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.”
He said during the upcoming “Big Ticket” interview, “Next time you cast someone in that position, you bring them through the process. They need that support. They can’t get Boyega-ed.”
Boyega will next be seen in Steve McQueen’s “Small Axe” on Amazon.
The full interview with Boyega will be available on “The Big Ticket” on Nov. 17. You can find the “The Big Ticket” at iHeartRadio or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.