Actor John Boyega, best known for playing Finn in Disney’s Star Wars sequel trilogy, is once again stirring controversy—this time taking direct aim at the franchise’s fanbase and accusing the iconic sci-fi series of being too white and “elite.”
In a recent appearance in the Apple TV+ documentary Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood, Boyega labeled the Star Wars universe as “the most whitest, elite space,” arguing that the beloved franchise has failed when it comes to diversity and inclusion. According to Boyega, the galaxy far, far away has a race problem—and fans are part of the issue.
Star Wars actor John Boyega attacks fans of the franchise as racist white elitists pic.twitter.com/s9zxszFwiR
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) April 1, 2025
This isn’t the first time Boyega has taken shots at the series that launched him to international fame. But this time, he doubled down, not just critiquing the casting decisions of Lucasfilm and Disney, but also taking aim at the audience itself. Boyega claimed that fans are only comfortable seeing Black actors in supporting roles, and that the moment a Black actor is placed in the spotlight or given a leadership role, the same fans cry foul and accuse the studio of pandering.
He cited his own experience playing Finn as a prime example. While initially marketed as a central figure—arguably even a potential Jedi—the character was quickly sidelined in favor of others, most notably Daisy Ridley’s Rey and Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren. Boyega said he felt used by the studio, suggesting that Disney only promoted his role for the sake of optics before pushing him into the background once the trilogy unfolded.
Boyega also took issue with past representation in the Star Wars universe, referencing characters like Lando Calrissian (played by Billy Dee Williams) and Mace Windu (played by Samuel L. Jackson). He dismissed their inclusion as tokenism, comparing it to “a chocolate chip in the dough,” implying that Black characters have been little more than decorative additions to a white-dominated narrative.
His comments, unsurprisingly, have reignited debate online. Many fans, particularly longtime supporters of the franchise, are pushing back. They argue that the criticism should be directed toward the writers and producers who botched Finn’s arc, rather than blaming the fans who were originally excited by the character’s potential. In fact, a large segment of the fanbase had hoped to see Finn become a Jedi or at least play a meaningful role throughout the trilogy—only to be disappointed by the filmmakers’ decisions.
Critics of Boyega’s latest remarks are pointing out that he’s biting the hand that fed him. Star Wars catapulted him from relative obscurity into international stardom, and many feel that repeatedly trashing the franchise and its supporters is both ungrateful and misguided. Instead of taking accountability for how the sequels failed on multiple fronts—including story, character development, and fan satisfaction—Boyega has turned the conversation into yet another racial grievance.
There’s no doubt that Hollywood has a diversity obsession these days, but the irony is hard to ignore. While Boyega criticizes the industry for being “white and elite,” he was handed a starring role in one of the most lucrative and high-profile franchises of all time. He was given global exposure, a platform, and a loyal fanbase. Yet, years later, his focus seems more on grievance politics than on the art or storytelling that made Star Wars such a success in the first place.
The larger problem here isn’t the fans. It’s the trend of injecting divisive racial narratives into beloved cultural institutions and then blaming audiences when they don’t fall in line. Boyega’s grievances, whether legitimate or not, would be better directed at the corporate machine that mishandled the Star Wars sequels—not the millions of fans who simply wanted great stories and memorable characters.
Unfortunately, for many fans, this latest round of complaints from Boyega only further proves how far the franchise has drifted from its original spirit. Instead of uniting audiences around timeless themes of good versus evil, adventure, and redemption, it’s now mired in identity politics and culture war battles that most fans never asked for.
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