Summary
NewStar Warsmovies may bring back another sequel trilogy character in addition to Daisy Ridley’s Rey. But would the actor whom Lucasfilm is rumored to want back agree to return?
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerwas billed as the final chapter of the main saga George Lucas started in 1977. Lucasfilm planned to produce newStar Warsmovies that were separate from the Skywalker saga, but they’ve had difficulty getting feature films off the ground. To date,The Rise of the Skywalkeris the lastStar Warsmovie to hit the big screen, nearly half a decade ago. This may be why Lucasfilm is reportedly hoping to bringRidley’s Rey back for multipleStar Warsmovies, and she may not come alone.
Reputable scooperDaniel Richtmanreports that Disney and Lucasfilm want John Boyega back in theStar Warsfranchise. Boyega portrayed Finn–a former First Order Stormtrooper who left the order and joined the Resistance alongside Rey and Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron–in all 3Star Warssequel trilogy moviesand has not reprised the role in a live-action project sinceThe Rise of Skywalker. Details on what Lucasfilm and Disney want to do with Boyega’s Finn next were not clarified, so it’s unknown if they want the character to return for one of Ridley’s new Rey movies or if they want to give him a solo spinoff.
But would Boyega agree to return as Finn? Many fans felt theStar Warssequel trilogy didn’t do Finn justice. When Finn was introduced to audiences inStar Wars: The Force Awakens, he had a compelling backstory as a former Stormtrooper who is disturbed by the First Order’s evil actions and defects to the Resistance. The sequel trilogy even hinted at Finn’s potential to become a Jedi by demonstrating his skills with a lightsaber and insinuating that he was Force-sensitive. Unfortunately,Star Warssequel trilogy writers and directors J.J. Abrams (The Force Awakens,The Rise of Skywalker) and Rian Johnson (The Last Jedi) did not explore these potential storylines in any detail.
WhileStar Wars: The Last Jedigave Finn a solo storyline, it was largely separate from other sequel trilogy heroes Rey and Poe. By the time Finn returned forThe Rise of Skywalker, many fans believed he was relegated to a side character whose only interest was Rey. Even Boyega said theStar Warssequel trilogy failed Finn, arguing his character was not nearly as developed as the others.
After publicly criticizing Lucasfilm for the handling of his characters, Boyega and Disney met to discuss the matter. While he has seemingly made peace with theups and downs of hisStar Warsexperiences, as recently as last year, Boyega said he’s content leaving Finn’s story where it left off inThe Rise of Skywalker. That doesn’t mean Boyega can’t be convinced, but perhaps fans shouldn’t get their hopes up.
TheStar Warssaga is available on Disney Plus.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise created by George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd with the 1977 motion picture. The science fiction franchise follows the adventures of characters (both humanoid and alien) in outer space including those who can wield a mystical power known as the Force. Since the release of the original trilogy of movies, the franchise has expanded to include multiple films and branched out to other media like comics, video games, TV shows, theme park attractions, and more. The IP and Lucasfilm were sold to Disney in 2012.
