It Sounds Like John Boyega Didn’t Like the ‘Star Wars’ Movies He Made

I was ten when Phantom Menace came out, but I still knew that many saw it as a massive disappointment. Not me. Again, I was ten, so I had a blast watching it. Then, I would turn 13, see Attack of the Clones, and declare the films despicable like most other people. Hatred of the prequels felt absolute. Then, folks who were babies or nonexistent when the films were released saw them and loved them like we never did.

20 years ago, it would have been impossible to imagine a world where anyone enjoyed the prequels. Now, they have devoted fans. Legacies change; As has been the case with the Star Wars sequel trilogy. While not without their controversies, those films made insane amounts of money, and the first two were widely enjoyed by people (even if a small but very vocal group of people railed against the second movie).

We’re almost six years away from the final release in that trilogy, which feels crazy. That film, The Rise of Skywalker, was bad in every aspect of the word. It united most Star Wars fans, who had waited over a decade for new films, only to see them end with a thud. The sequel trilogy will have a complicated legacy, maybe even more so than the prequels, with even the stars turning on it.

John Boyega has not been shy about his experience making these movies. While at the Florida Supercon, he mused about how the films would have been different if he were in charge. “If I was a producer on Star Wars from the beginning… You would have had a whole completely different thing.” He then explains he would not have gotten “rid of Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, all these people. We’re not doing that. The first thing we’re going to do is fulfill their story, fulfill their legacy. We’re going to make a good moment of handing on the baton.”

Hindsight is 20/20, and I’d be surprised if an up-and-coming Boyega would have said, “Let’s make this more about the older characters.” He mentions having a baton pass off, but that’s easier said than done, as we’ve seen. That said, of all the characters, Boyega got the shortest shrift, so he very well could have initiated that change. He then goes on to say that characters would not “just grab stuff and know what to do with it. No. You’ve got to struggle like every other character in this franchise. I’d do that.”

That note feels a bit odd. That is… exactly what happens to Boyega’s character. He grabs a lightsaber and wields it in an uncontrolled manner. Rey has an easier time with some things, but the second film sees her struggle with controlling her powers. It almost sounds like he’s picking from online complaints and seeing what he can get a reaction with (if so, mission accomplished).

The actor then went on to talk about expanding the universe while honoring the legacy, and again, that’s… what the films did? “I would definitely want to see Force Unleashed stories in there,” he said, referencing the popular video games. “I would try to expand the Star Wars universe as much as possible while respecting the lore. If we’re expanding the lore, we have to do it in within the respective boundaries that stay true.” What?

Boyega then complained about Luke Skywalker’s role in the films, saying, “But Luke Skywalker wouldn’t be disappearing on a rock. Hell no. Standing there, and he’s, like, a projector? I would want to give those characters way more way more.” I’d argue that Luke being a force projection in The Last Jedi is one of the greatest moments in the franchise, but to each their own.

Everyone can complain about these films if they want, especially those involved. Boyega’s character was presented as a lead character, and then was more or less pushed to the side. I can understand being frustrated. This just feels like a way to air grievances. And hey, go off, bud. The trilogy ain’t perfect, but, aside from the Skywalker specifics, it does everything he wishes it did. It sounds like he just didn’t like the way it played out.