It feels like we don’t hear all that much from actor John Boyega that much, outside of when he’s talking about Star Wars as of late. And in a recent Popverse interview, he went so far as to rework the entire trilogy, in terms of what he’d do differently, as he’s been vocal about what he believed went wrong with the original.
Here’s what he said:
“It would be mad. First of all, we’re not getting rid of Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, all these people. We’re not doing that. The first thing we’re going to do is fulfill their story, fulfill their legacy. We’re going to make a good moment of handing on the baton.”
“Luke Skywalker wouldn’t be disappearing on a rock … Hell no. Standing there and he’s, like, a projector? I would want to give those characters way more way more”
By the end of the trilogy, all three major Star Wars leads are dead. Han Solo killed by his son, Kylo Ren. Luke Skywalker fading into the ether after force projecting himself to face Kylo Ren. Leia had to be written off due to the tragic death of Carrie Fisher during the production of the trilogy. So Boyega would halt at least the first two deaths, as it did come off as strange that “passing the baton” was mainly killing all the big characters. He continues:
“Our new characters will not be overpowered in these movies. They won’t just grab stuff and know what to do with it… No. You’ve got to struggle like every other character in this franchise.”
This is likely a reference to both Rey and himself. Rey was frequently criticized as a “Mary Sue,” possessing immense power and skill in everything from flying to fighting to the force despite growing up as a loner scavenger. And Boyega’s Finn was criticized for somehow knowing how to expertly wield a lightsaber against Kylo Ren the first time he picked one up. Boyega didn’t say it this time, but he’s been vocal in the past about his disappointment that Finn seemed clearly written to be force-sensitive, but nothing at all ever came of that. More:
“I’d look to the Old Republic stories. And see what we can add to the continuation of that. I would definitely want to see Force Unleashed stories in there. I would try to expand the Star Wars universe as much as possible while respecting the lore. If we’re expanding the lore, we have to do it within the respective boundaries that stay true.”
The Force Unleashed
Lucasarts
The Old Republic has many, at least formerly canon stories, but it was also highlighted in a series of beloved video games. He also cites another game, Force Unleashed, which starred an incredibly powerful (honestly overpowered) apprentice to Darth Vader, Starkiller. I remember at one point crashing an entire Star Destroyer using the force. Sort of an odd pick for a story to dive into, but sure.
I don’t blame Boyega for being dissatisfied with the films and the part he was relegated to after a promising start. But yes, he’s right about larger issues with the film that had nothing to do with him as well. He’s said he would return to the series if asked, but as of now, it’s not clear if there is a movie actively being produced in that time period.
Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.
Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.