John Boyega Calls Out Racism in Star Wars Fans: “They’re Okay With Us Playing the Best Friend, But Not the Hero”

John Boyega, who is best known for playing Finn in Star Wars, is speaking out against the racism he faced from certain fans of the franchise. In a new documentary titled Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood, Boyega discussed the struggles he encountered as a Black actor in the Star Wars universe.

Boyega said that the Star Wars franchise has always had a “white” and “elite” vibe, and the inclusion of Black characters was a big deal. “Lemme tell ya, Star Wars always had the vibe of being in the most whitest, elite space,” he said. “It’s a franchise that’s so white that a Black person existing in [it] was something.” He added that many fans were okay with a few Black characters, but not when it came to Black actors taking leading roles.

Boyega explained that while some fans point out that Star Wars had characters like Lando Calrissian and Mace Windu, it was more of a token effort. “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!‘” Boyega said. “It’s like telling me how many cookie chips are in the cookie dough. It’s like, they just scattered that in there, bro!“

The actor also criticized fans who were okay with Black actors playing supporting roles, but not leading roles. “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!‘” he said.

Boyega isn’t the only Star Wars actor to face racist treatment from fans. Kelly Marie Tran, who played Rose Tico in The Last Jedi, faced online abuse after the film’s release. Amandla Stenberg, who played twins Osha and Mae in The Acolyte, also faced hate from fans and even released a song addressing the bullying.

Boyega has previously spoken about how Star Wars handled his character, Finn. He was marketed as a co-lead in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, but his role became much smaller in The Rise of Skywalker. “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,” he said in a 2020 interview.

He added that Disney gave more focus to the characters of Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver, while his and Kelly Marie Tran’s roles were reduced.

Boyega also remembered the excitement he felt when he first got the Star Wars role. “I got in a taxi and told the driver. That was the first person I told. My mom’s not here, my dad’s not here, we’re sharing in this moment, bro. ‘Bro, I just got Star Wars!’ He was like, ‘Oh, yeah, congratulations mate. Great, that’ll be 45 pounds, please.’” He couldn’t help but share the amazing news with someone, even if it meant breaking the rule about not telling anyone.

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