John Boyega Says Disney Marginalized Diverse Characters In ‘Star Wars’ Sequels

quote:

---

He is on a breathless roll now, breaking his long corporate omerta to touch on the unthinking, systemic mistreatment of black characters in blockbusters (“They’re always scared. They’re always fricking sweating”) and what he sees as the relative salvage job that returnee director JJ Abrams performed on The Rise Of Skywalker (“Everybody needs to leave my boy alone. He wasn’t even supposed to come back and try to save your shite”). Even though he also acknowledges that it was an “amazing opportunity” and a “stepping stone” that has precipitated so much good in his life and career, he is palpably exhilarated to be finally saying all this. But to dismiss these words as merely professional bitterness or paranoia is to miss the point. 

---

quote:

---

John Boyega has expressed his frustration at being “pushed to the side” in the sequels to his Star Wars debut The Force Awakens, saying that Disney gave “all the nuance” to Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley’s white characters in the later films.

In a candid interview with GQ, Boyega also suggests his fellowed diverse major cast members, including Naomi Ackie, Kelly Marie Tran and Oscar Isaac, were all victims of similar fates.

“You get yourself involved in projects and you’re not necessarily going to like everything. [But] 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,” commented Boyega.

---

quote:

---

"You knew what to do with these other people, but when it came to Kelly Marie Tran, when it came to John Boyega, you know frick all,” he continued. “So what do you want me to say? What they want you to say is, ‘I enjoyed being a part of it. It was a great experience…’ Nah, nah, nah. I’ll take that deal when it’s a great experience.”

He added that some of the film’s white cast members did not suffer the same outcomes, “They gave all the nuance to Adam Driver, all the nuance to Daisy Ridley. Let’s be honest. Daisy knows this. Adam knows this. Everybody knows. I’m not exposing anything.”

In the interview, Boyega also expressed his frustration with how his casting and performances in the franchise were often perceived through the prism of his race.

---