John Boyega reveals that Tom Cruise was the one who got him cast as Finn in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He may never have appeared in Star Wars, but it seems Cruise has had a surprising impact. That’s in spite of the fact he hasn’t even worked with Boyega himself – but he loved Boyega’s debut in Attack the Block.

Speaking at a spotlight panel at Emerald City Comic Con (via Popverse), John Boyega revealed that Cruise was the one who initially put him on J.J. Abrams’ radar for The 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 that Star Wars put 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 after Star Wars: The Force Awakens‘ release, and became a dearly loved member of the Star Wars sequel 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 from Pacific Rim: Uprising to The Woman King, consistently demonstrating just how talented he really is. Star Wars may 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 the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Who can forget those first posters, which seemed to hint at a stormtrooper who becomes a Jedi? Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker seemed 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 about Star Wars than he used to be, so this can’t be ruled out; it feels a lot more possible ten years after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Ridley herself has hinted she’s in favor, so hopefully it will indeed come to pᴀss.

Source: Popverse