Star Wars star John Boyega explains what he expected from Finn’s story, and it’s very different from what audiences ended up getting. Released in 2015, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens marked a new era for the franchise, introducing a host of new characters alongside some familiar favorites.

Boyega’s Finn, a defecting stormtrooper, joins forces with Daisy Ridley’s Rey and Oscar Isaac’s Poe in The Force Awakens, eventually becoming a crucial ally in the fight against Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren. Though there were teases in the 2015 film that Finn is Force-sensitive, this didn’t play a big role in the subsequent movies, and his arc remains divisive.

During a recent interview with ScreenRant‘s Liz Declan at Fan Expo Boston, Boyega reveals that he thought Finn would have a more Jedi-oriented story following The Force Awakens. The actor explains that he thought the teases featured in the 2015 movie were hinting at a future in which Finn and Rey would eventually become enemies. Check out his comment below:

“I think I ᴀssumed he was Force-sensitive from The Force Awakens script or at least by the time I got to the end of The Force Awakens script. I thought they were planning dual Jedis. I actually thought that they would Obi-Wan and Darth Vader us a bit. That we would turn against each other or something along those lines.”

What This Means For The Star Wars Sequels

Though The Force Awakens was generally well-received, its two sequels were not. Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017) became mᴀssively divisive among audiences, and Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019) earned mixed reviews.

There were a number of decisions that proved controversial in these latter two films, and Finn’s story is certainly among them. Instead of exploring his Force sensitivity, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker focus mostly on Rey and her Jedi journey, with Finn taking a backseat.

Boyega himself has previously expressed frustration with Finn being sidelined in The Rise of Skywalker and of the lack of a clear plan across the entire trilogy. That doesn’t mean, however, that he’s not open to returning in a future Star Wars movie, and he even hinted at Fan Expo Philadelphia this past May that this could open the door for an exploration of Finn’s Force-sensitivity:

“So for me, everybody knows, it’s dependent on treating the character well, it’s dependent on fulfilling the arc that was teased quite a lot during the process. And hopefully, this time, it’s them approaching it by having a plan of what they’re gonna do throughout the whole series.”

Presently, there are no concrete plans for Finn’s return. It has been announced that Rey will return in Star Wars: New Jedi Order, and it’s possible that Finn could appear. This movie was announced in 2023, however, and it seemingly has not been able to escape development just yet.

Our Take On Boyega’s Star Wars Comments

The Last Jedi seems like it doesn’t totally know what to do with Finn, and he ends up in a side story that feels a little too far removed from the main action. The Rise of Skywalker focuses on Rey, Kylo, and Palpatine, and Finn feels like more of an add-on here as well, rather than a character originally set up to serve as a protagonist.

An arc dealing with Finn’s Force sensitivity sounds like a solid idea, and one that would explore the character in a meaningful way. If the story drove a wedge between Finn and Rey, this would also create some compelling drama as audiences feel their allegiances tested. It doesn’t seem like this story will come to pᴀss, but Finn’s Star Wars return isn’t off the table.