There are major film franchises, and then there’s Star Wars. Generations grew up on the galaxy far, far away, which is why all three of the trilogies have been such big hits. The most recent set of movies introduced a new trio of heroes: Rey, Poe, and Finn. The latter was played by John Boyega, who recently shared sweet memories from his Star Wars trilogy… while also calling himself a “retired superhero.” Say it ain't so!
John Boyega became a household name after debuting in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, eventually reprising the role of Finn in the two sequels. While Boyega has been honest about the struggles he faced in the space opera, he’s also got positive memories of his time on set. When speaking with Ebony, the 31 year-old actor shared love for his co-stars and revealed how it’s like to view Finn years later. In his words:
I always think about the memories of the experience. The other day I was going through my phone, and I found a video of me and Oscar Isaac playing the video game Street Fighter between takes. You kind of miss these people after a while, like Oscar and Daisy [Ridley], and those connections that you made; the filmmaking experience, what I learned from watching the producers do their jobs — what that meant. And [when I] go to a store and see a Finn action figure or something, it just makes me chuckle. I feel like a retired superhero. It’s weird; this thing follows me wherever I go. But for me, it brings back the sweetest memories, and it reminds me of how far I’ve come independent of that.
While being a movie star is no doubt a strange experience, being one of the main characters of Star Wars is another level of notoriety entirely. Now that it’s been a few years since the release of The Rise of Skywalker, John Boyega is seemingly able to enjoy his legacy as Finn more. Boyega is able to be a fan again, perhaps partly because of all the work he’s done outside of George Lucas’ colorful franchise
Despite some of the downsides to his Star Wars fame, it certainly seems like Boyega developed a strong relationship with his co-stars Oscar Isaac and Daisy Ridley. That trio were able to experience the wild nature of their sudden fame together, in addition to bonding on the set of those three movies. And sometimes that included the occasional game of Street Fighter.
Of course, some fans are hoping that this cast might reunite on the big screen. Star Wars recently announced its new trilogy, which includes a movie focused on Daisy Ridley’s Rey starting her own Jedi Academy. Fans want to see Finn as a student, finally and to see him finally becoming a Jedi in his own right. But thus far it’s unclear if Boyega is interested in returning to his signature role.
While it’s unclear when the new Star Wars movies will arrive in theaters, the franchise continues to grow thanks to live-action shows that are available with a Disney+ subscription. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
