John Boyega said in a new interview with Screen Rant that he hopes for his character Finn to go on an unexpected journey after Star Wars: The Last Jedi and into Episode IX. The actor's popularity has skyrocketed on the heels of his engaging, often hilarious, performance as the ex-Stormtrooper formerly known as FN-2187. In J.J. Abrams' The Force Awakens, Finn got his new name from Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and found himself falling in with The Resistance to join the fight against his former masters in the First Order.
In Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi, Finn will once again be donning a First Order uniform - as part of an undercover mission along with Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran). He will also come face to face to fight his former commander, Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie), presumably as part of the sequel's climactic battles. It's wholly unclear where Finn's story progresses from there, but Boyega is hoping that Abrams' return behind the cameras for Episode IX will take the character in unexpected directions.
Related: The Last Jedi Digs Into Finn's Character
Speaking to Screen Rant at a press event to promote The Last Jedi, Boyega was asked about where he'd like to see Finn go in Episode IX and possibly beyond. Apparently, he would like to see the character to live up to Luke Skywalker's Last Jedi line, "This is not going to go the way you think." Here's what he had to say:
"Okay, well, I just want it like right, all the characters you want them to follow in the same Star Wars Legacy in terms of making things interesting and things not going the way you think it will. I think that's something that I just would love to explore where we fit in but you know?"
Johnson has previously hinted that The Last Jedi will "really dig into" Finn's character. He spent much of The Force Awakens conflicted about whether he wanted to fight back against the First Order or simply run from the new war. Obviously, he will continue fighting in The Last Jedi, once he recovers from his wounds suffered at the hands of Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). Boyega himself has said that the sequel will explore Finn's "troubled" past, but not necessarily in depth.
Finn's decision to flee from the First Order likely wasn't made within that singular moment at the start of The Force Awakens, and that's where his past would come into play. Perhaps that is what Boyega is referring to that he would like to see explored in Episode IX. There's still plenty to learn about Finn as a character, and it may serve the new trilogy well to honor Boyega's wishes and offer up some surprises about the character in the closing chapter.
Hopefully, Boyega's comments aren't a sign that his character arc in The Last Jedi is more predictable than he would have liked. A showdown with Phasma isn't exactly the most original idea for the sequel - but that doesn't mean that the path there will be entirely formulaic either. Johnson's installment has been described as different by many people, and the likelihood is that Finn's story will ultimately find ways to be a swerve from what he and fans are expecting.
MORE: The Last Jedi Early Cut Was Over Three Hours
