It's true that the original "Star Wars" in 1977 was a pretty white experience, except for James Earl Jones voicing Darth Vader. We don't recall there being any controversy at the time. In the sequel and the sequel to the sequel, Billy Dee Williams played a very prominent role. As much as we'd like to avoid talking about the prequels, Samuel L. Jackson, who appears in everything, played a member of the Jedi Council. We still don't remember any complaints about the film being whitewashed.
Then came the most recent three movies, in which John Boyega played a Stormtrooper who turned out to be a good guy. He wasn't the lead in the films — that honor went to Daisy Reily — but he played a significant part as a hero.
Was Boyega too black? Well, there was the well-known controversy of Disney shrinking him on the movie poster for the Chinese market. Yeah, that was pretty racist.
We're not sure why this is coming up now, but Boyega is claiming that "toxic fans" are OK with black actors playing "the friend," just not the lead.
John Boyega Says ‘Star Wars’ Is ‘So White That a Black Person Existing in It’ Is a Big Deal: Toxic Fans Are ‘Okay With Us Playing the Friend’ but We ‘Cant Touch Their Heroes’https://t.co/RifMxeXtKR
— Variety (@Variety) March 31, 2025
Variety reports:
John Boyega called out “Star Wars” for being “so white” during an interview as part of the new Apple TV+ original documentary “Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood” (via Entertainment Weekly). Boyega debuted as Finn in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and reprised the character in “The Last Jedi” and “The Rise of Skywalker.” His role in the sequel trilogy led to online harassment from racist and toxic “Star Wars” fans upset with a Black actor playing a lead hero in the space franchise.
“Lemme tell ya, ‘Star Wars’ always had the vibe of being in the most whitest, elite space. It’s a franchise that’s so white that a Black person existing in [it] was something,” Boyega said in the documentary. “You can always tell it’s something when some ‘Star Wars’ fans try to say, ‘Well, we had Lando Calrissian and had Samuel L. Jackson!’ It’s like telling me how many cookie chips are in the cookie dough. It’s like, they just scattered that in there, bro!”
“They’re okay with us playing the best friend, but once we touch their heroes, once we lead, once we trailblaze, it’s like, ‘Oh my God, it’s just a bit too much! They’re pandering,'” the actor added, while also acknowledging that being cast in the franchise was a “fundamental moment” in his career.
You can always tell it's something when people point out that there have been black heroes before. "It's like telling me how many cookie chips are in the cookie dough."
Being cast in "Star Wars" was a "fundamental moment" in his career. We'll see where his career takes him now.
Looks like somebody is having trouble finding post-Star Wars roles.
— AmishDude (@TheAmishDude) March 31, 2025
Is he not aware who blew up the second Death Star? And that was 42 years ago, almost a decade before he was born.
— AdamInHTownTX (@AdamInHTownTX) March 31, 2025
He's aware … but that doesn't count.
— Hummingbirder 🇺🇸🏈🌰 (@Humming_birder) March 31, 2025
OMG — a black actor literally touching one of the heroes.
Come again? pic.twitter.com/8rXMThI0Sn
— Nina Infinity (@Nina7Infinity) March 31, 2025
You don't count either.
I'm tired of stars scapegoating fans, when it's their own bosses that are more deserving of their anger. Boyega got a raw deal from Lucasfilm, and that's not the fault of Star Wars fans.
— Colin Hussey (@cehussey) March 31, 2025
James Earl Jones and Billy Dee Williams legacies would like a word.
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) March 31, 2025
Literally no one cared when Boyega was cast -- except for China. Disney bent the knee and removed him from all promotional materials when promoting TFA. Be a better actor and you'll get better roles. https://t.co/NKbOjcrJn2
SW fandom loved Finn and went to Last Jedi expecting a romance with Rey to blossom. It was not our decision to sideline him with a bogus time filling space casino quest.
— Bookshelf Q. Battler (@bookshelfbattle) March 31, 2025
A strange take.
— Tusken Reader (@TheGeeksAttic) March 31, 2025
Doesn’t realize that literally everyone would’ve rather had him as the Jedi than Rey
— iggy flowerback (@iggyflowerback) March 31, 2025
The audience doesn’t owe you anything. You make a movie, we pay for it or we don’t. Everything else is between you, the studio and your agent.
— Mark Twomey (@Storagezilla) March 31, 2025
Why would he agree to appear in a film series that was so white and only used black actors for token characters? We're sure the money was good.
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