John Boyega reveals that Tom Cruise was the one who got him cast as Finn inStar Wars: The Force Awakens. He may never have appeared inStar Wars, but it seems Cruise has had a surprising impact. That’s in spite of the facthe hasn’t even worked with Boyega himself- but he loved Boyega’s debut inAttack the Block.
Speaking at a spotlight panel at Emerald City Comic Con (viaPopverse), John Boyega revealed thatCruise was the one who initially put him on J.J. Abrams' radar forThe Force Awakens. “I’m thankful to Tom Cruise, who loved Attack the Block,” Boyega explained. “He was editing Mission Impossible at the time with J.J. Abrams. Tom told J.J., ‘You’ve got to watch this kid in Attack the Block.’ J.J. watched it, and one thing led to another, and four or five years later, I was in the movie.” In some ways, Boyega noted, he owes his career to Cruise.
John Boyega’s Carrer Was Launched By The Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Boyega may be a fantastic actor, but it’s undeniably true thatStar Warsput him on the map. He won the BAFTA Rising Star Award and received the Trophée Chopard at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016, a year afterStar Wars: The Force Awakens' release, and became a dearly loved member of theStar Warssequel trilogy cast. That said,the experience wasn’t entirely pleasant for the actor;Boyega criticized Disney’s handling of Finn, who didn’t exactly have a strong and consistent arc throughout the sequels.
Still, Boyega has since gone from strength to strength. He’s appeared in everything fromPacific Rim: UprisingtoThe Woman King, consistently demonstrating just how talented he really is.Star Warsmay have been Boyega’s launchpad, but his own talent propels his career.
Our Take On John Boyega & Star Wars
There’s a sense in which John Boyega’s Finn feels like one of the worst missed opportunities in theStar Warssequel trilogy. Who can forget those first posters, which seemed to hint at a stormtrooper who becomes a Jedi?Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerseemed to finally pay off this with an oddly-handled plot in which Finn learned he was Force-sensitive, but this too was badly developed.
There’s been intense speculation Finn could return as a Jedi Master in Rey’s New Jedi Order movie, appearing alongside his fellow sequel trilogy star Daisy Ridley. Boyega himself sounds a lot more positive aboutStar Warsthan he used to be, so this can’t be ruled out; it feels a lot more possible ten years afterStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Ridley herself has hinted she’s in favor, so hopefully it will indeed come to pass.
