John Boyega Calls Out Racist Backlash From 'Star Wars' Fans

During the conversation, John Boyega opened up about social media, as well as fans’ treatment of Black characters in the series.

“Right now you go on social media, it feels like algebra to me. Two plus two is four. If you do this, that means this. Women think like this, men think like this, and that simplicity with such intricate talking points, it froze me off…t’s a rocky road,” he began.

When host John Fugelsang brought up Moses Ingram, who stars in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, and the racism she’s dealing with online.

“I saw that,” John Boyega said.

“But Disney was there. They had a plan and it seemed like Disney learned along the way to have a plan for these sort of things to happen. When it happened to you, I don’t think there was a game plan. I don’t think they saw it coming,” the host went on to say.

“That’s how it goes, man. That’s how it goes, but that’s the piece that I felt Moses Ingram being protected makes me feel protected. Do you understand what I’m saying?” John explained.

“It makes me feel like, okay, cool. I am not the elephant in the room because when I started it, wasn’t really a conversation you could bring up. You know how they went through it. It was kind of like, let’s just be silent. It wasn’t a conversation you could bring up. But now to see how blatant it is, to see Ewan McGregor come and support is.. it for me, fulfills my time where I didn’t get the support. It doesn’t make me feel bitter at all. It makes me feel like sometimes you are that guy. And my dad taught me that. Sometimes you’re not the guy to get the blessing and sometimes you are Moses, you know, you lead the people to the mountain, but you see the destination. You don’t get to go in, you get others to go in. And that’s where you get your happiness from. And for me to see other people accepted, and then at the same time to see that the studios now are like, okay, cool. This is not an elephant in the room conversation. We need to support our Black client. It’s fantastic.

The host also talked about John‘s quote from 2020, in response to Disney: “do not market a Black character as important, and then push them aside.”

“Even if you wanna remove race out of it, just from a business perspective, you know what that does to Black people? You know how you guys got everybody motivated around Black Panther? Don’t tease no Black Panther, market a Black actor and switch and bait. You don’t do it with white actors. You don’t do it. You don’t. So don’t think you can have this skill set where you’re gonna put everybody on plasters. You got white people and Black people excited. And then we come in and they in it for five minutes. They die at the beginning, or they’re the best friend.”

John Boyega also addressed whether he’d reprise his role of Finn.

“At this point I’m cool off it. I’m good off it…and I think, I think Finn is at a good confirmation point where you can just enjoy him in other things, the games, the animation. But I feel like, yeah, seven to nine was good for me. Watch above.

Ewan McGregor responded to another actor’s criticism of Star Wars recently.