John Boyega accuses Disney of pushing his Star Wars character aside

[Joesixtoe]

I don't quite understand, I thought all of the characters except Rey and Kylo were supporting characters. The movies had a lot of story to go through with little time to develop everyone, hence why Rey and Kylo got most of the development. With what we got, I really like Fin and hope to get more stories about his Jedi skills in the future.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I don't quite understand, I thought all of the characters except Rey and Kylo were supporting characters. The movies had a lot of story to go through with little time to develop everyone, hence why Rey and Kylo got most of the development. With what we got, I really like Fin and hope to get more stories about his Jedi skills in the future.

Two “big characters” have questioned their characters completely. I remember seeing a story that Ridley was distancing herself from hers as far back as 2017...she will likely have something to say too.

The criticism is just beginning. We’ve seen this before.

 

[_caleb]

They definitely used him for click bait as a black stormtrooper.
As for what to do with his character, that just seemed the case for everyone.
They didn't know what to do with most of their characters, Plasma is a big example.

Totally agree they did not know what to do with Phasma. Awesome character design, an imposing female villain. In all the promo art/trailers the fans got super excited. “This trilogy’s Boba Fett!” They said. And then, well, you all saw what they did with her. A big, fat, nothingburger.

 

[_caleb]

I don't quite understand, I thought all of the characters except Rey and Kylo were supporting characters. The movies had a lot of story to go through with little time to develop everyone, hence why Rey and Kylo got most of the development. With what we got, I really like Fin and hope to get more stories about his Jedi skills in the future.

I always thought of Finn as a primary character... until RoS, when he just sort of faded into the background.

 

[Andrew C]

Totally agree they did not know what to do with Phasma. Awesome character design, an imposing female villain. In all the promo art/trailers the fans got super excited. “This trilogy’s Boba Fett!” They said. And then, well, you all saw what they did with her. A big, fat, nothingburger.

They cut her scenes out a lot.

 

[Joesixtoe]

Two “big characters” have questioned their characters completely. I remember seeing a story that Ridley was distancing herself from hers as far back as 2017...she will likely have something to say too.

The criticism is just beginning. We’ve seen this before.

Yeah I agree, the storyline is just to convoluted for issues not to come out.

 

[Joesixtoe]

Totally agree they did not know what to do with Phasma. Awesome character design, an imposing female villain. In all the promo art/trailers the fans got super excited. “This trilogy’s Boba Fett!” They said. And then, well, you all saw what they did with her. A big, fat, nothingburger.

This is what I mean, they had many great characters, but the time to develop them all wasn't there, or they just didn't want too due to the story they went with. So how is the treatment of Fin any different than the rest of the characters besides Rey and Kylo? I mean people complain(me) already about the lack of screen time from the Original Trilogy crew, thus why I'm saying the story they ran with didn't provide time for all the other characters besides the two main ones.

 

[_caleb]

This is what I mean, they had many great characters, but the time to develop them all wasn't there, or they just didn't want too due to the story they went with. So how is the treatment of Fin any different than the rest of the characters besides Rey and Kylo? I mean people complain(me) already about the lack of screen time from the Original Trilogy crew, thus why I'm saying the story they ran with didn't provide time for all the other characters besides the two main ones.

I agree they didn’t know what to do with Finn. I think the bigger issue for Boyega is that there actually would have been enough screen time to do something interesting with
Finn‘s character, they just squandered the opportunity.

Look how in TLJ, they had Finn sort of just running errands, almost starting a relationship with Rose, almost being confronted with his First Order past.

And then in RoS, they had his character on pause trying to tell Rey... something (maybe about being Force-sensitive?).

Why not have him train and become a Jedi (or a new category of people who develop Force-sensitivity)? Why not have him (as others have mentioned) struggle with his past, become a baddie for a while, or even be part of a love triangle? These things would have made the character worth including, but they ended up not doing much with him at all.

 

[GimpYancIent]

This is what I mean, they had many great characters, but the time to develop them all wasn't there, or they just didn't want too due to the story they went with. So how is the treatment of Fin any different than the rest of the characters besides Rey and Kylo? I mean people complain(me) already about the lack of screen time from the Original Trilogy crew, thus why I'm saying the story they ran with didn't provide time for all the other characters besides the two main ones.

It is obvious the evolution of the various characters of this last Star Wars trilogy could have been done better, that said, the two central characters were Rey and Kylo and revolving around them were the stories of the others. The storm troopers all look the same, there is no way to really tell gender or race except carefully listening to the voice or with Finn he took his helmet off. Storm troopers can be anyone so it was not a big reveal when Finn took his helmet off. The Lando Calrissian character is a person of color with a central and prominent role in the story, I do not believe the writers ever intended Finn to be as prominent as Lando. In the future I look forward to seeing a whole new cast of characters emerging in the Star Wars saga. Finn had his day and I hope he retires quietly to the outer rim. May the Force be with him.

 

[John park hopper]

Actors are basically contract employees they get paid for a job and when the job is complete they move on to the next job. I assume he got paid for his work --end of story

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I agree they didn’t know what to do with Finn. I think the bigger issue for Boyega is that there actually would have been enough screen time to do something interesting with
Finn‘s character, they just squandered the opportunity.

Look how in TLJ, they had Finn sort of just running errands, almost starting a relationship with Rose, almost being confronted with his First Order past.

And then in RoS, they had his character on pause trying to tell Rey... something (maybe about being Force-sensitive?).

Why not have him train and become a Jedi (or a new category of people who develop Force-sensitivity)? Why not have him (as others have mentioned) struggle with his past, become a baddie for a while, or even be part of a love triangle? These things would have made the character worth including, but they ended up not doing much with him at all.

It is obvious the evolution of the various characters of this last Star Wars trilogy could have been done better, that said, the two central characters were Rey and Kylo and revolving around them were the stories of the others. The storm troopers all look the same, there is no way to really tell gender or race except carefully listening to the voice or with Finn he took his helmet off. Storm troopers can be anyone so it was not a big reveal when Finn took his helmet off. The Lando Calrissian character is a person of color with a central and prominent role in the story, I do not believe the writers ever intended Finn to be as prominent as Lando. In the future I look forward to seeing a whole new cast of characters emerging in the Star Wars saga. Finn had his day and I hope he retires quietly to the outer rim. May the Force be with him.

This is where we start “paralysis by analysis”

Welcome to 2005.

Enjoy the discussion...by all means...but the entire issue with those movies can be summed up in about 8 words or less...

 

[Joesixtoe]

I agree they didn’t know what to do with Finn. I think the bigger issue for Boyega is that there actually would have been enough screen time to do something interesting with
Finn‘s character, they just squandered the opportunity.

Look how in TLJ, they had Finn sort of just running errands, almost starting a relationship with Rose, almost being confronted with his First Order past.

And then in RoS, they had his character on pause trying to tell Rey... something (maybe about being Force-sensitive?).

Why not have him train and become a Jedi (or a new category of people who develop Force-sensitivity)? Why not have him (as others have mentioned) struggle with his past, become a baddie for a while, or even be part of a love triangle? These things would have made the character worth including, but they ended up not doing much with him at all.

I think it just ended up being a lack of central guidance with the overall storyline. In the prequels and originals it was basically George piecing it all together, this time it was well I'm not sure who it was developing the many different stories. For some reason I always thought Finn was with one N. Like Rey, Poe and Fin, I thought had 3 letters for a reason lol..anyway whatever

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Actors are basically contract employees they get paid for a job and when the job is complete they move on to the next job. I assume he got paid for his work --end of story

...don’t look for a call to be nominated to the Disney Board of Directors anytime soon

 

[John park hopper]

...don’t look for a call to be nominated to the Disney Board of Directors anytime soon

Just got a call from Bob start tomorrow HA HA

 

[champdisney]

Just got a call from Bob start tomorrow HA HA

Seems as though Iger has deceived you.

He’s no longer the head honcho.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Seems as though Iger has deceived you.

He’s no longer the head honcho.

He survived the Death Star explosion

 

[champdisney]

He survived the Death Star explosion

According to his overpriced memoir, he transferred his essence into his most successful clone hiding out somewhere within Golden Oak.

 

[Screamface]

They didn't know what to do with the character because he was one of the few new things in the trilogy. He was introduced, a cool idea but then the lack of creative vision, the lack of being able to consider Star Wars being more than the plot of the original trilogy meant that the guy who made the second film couldn't think of anything to do character-wise.

So while characters like Rey were put into the young hero (Luke role), Luke the old wizard, mentor role, Kylo into the villain connected to hero role, Poe into a hero that breaks the rule trope role etc. Where they just did things different than how you'd expect, as part as the little deconstruction of Star Wars and these types of films. Finn had no role and they weren't interested in giving him one.

So the character just became a vector to explore some other aspects of Star Wars. There were no expectations to subvert in a new character where you aren't assuming you know where it's going. So he was used to explore some other ideas about Star Wars. He's part of Finn, hero subversion plot. He gets lectured to and moralised by Rose. He learns horse racing and capitalism is bad. He is there to service DJ's plot, the scoundrel you are meant to assume has a heart of gold but doesn't. None of it is his character, his character is stagnant. HIs character plot by the end of the film is where he was at the end of the previous film.

There just wasn't enough room in the final film to do much, it was more just some setup, that already bloated film had a lot of, "here are ideas that could have been explored in previous films or if this film was even longer," moments thrown out and not developed because there was already too much to do in trying to create a story to conclude.

 

[Robbiem]

For me the real victim of the ST was Mark Hamill. The way Luke was treated was terrible to both the actor and the fans. People were led to expect the return of Like Skywalker the hero and the films were marketed this way. The name of RoS even implied he might return (a possibility after Carrie Fisher passed).

 

[GimpYancIent]

Iger & Co, I mean Disney, bought out Lucasfilm to make $ and a huge franchise within Lucasfilm is Star Wars $ $ $ $. Executives pooled their cerebral energies and became intent on churning out as much product as possible to make as much $ $ $ $ as possible, you know the old return on investment thing. What resulted was a reduction in the quality of the product. The story line was actually blurred irritating the fans and Hey! it is about the fans. Alienate the fan base and the $ return is reduced. Too bad the powers that be are just now coming around to figuring that out. A lot of rumors are out about fixes. As for me I am hoping for a Mandalorian movie or other development connected with the Star Wars concept but with fresh new characters. I am sure there are plenty of young actors out there, looking for that opportunity, fully capable of making a name for themselves and doing right by the franchise. An opportunity to not repeat past mistakes but expand, develop and yes! make $.