Star Wars 9: John Boyega May Have Revealed Finn's New Look

Screen Rant

By Chris Agar

Published Jul 31, 2018

John Boyega may have revealed Finn's new look in Star Wars: Episode 9 in a social media post welcoming newcomer Naomi Ackie to the franchise.

John Boyega seemingly reveals Finn's new look for Star Wars: Episode IX in a social media post. The stormtrooper turned Resistance fighter has been at the forefront of the sequel trilogy from the very beginning, undergoing a drastic personal change. At one point, his primary motivation was to run away from the war and keep himself safe, but due to his experiences, he's now proud "Rebel scum" dedicated to the cause. Of course, Boyega is one of several sequel trilogy veterans returning for the finale, which serves as the last episode of the traditional Skywalker saga.

Earlier this year, Boyega suggested Episode IX would see a time jump following The Last Jedi, saying that he was in the process of growing his hair out before filming. Director J.J. Abrams is just about to start rolling the cameras, so the cast has come together for one last adventure in the galaxy far, far away. There's still a long time to wait before Lucasfilm unveils any official marketing materials, but fans may have just gotten an early look at Finn's revamped appearance.

Boyega took to Instagram to welcome Star Wars newcomer Naomi Ackie (who plays one of three mystery roles) to the franchise. In the photo of the two embracing, Boyega is clearly sporting a different hairstyle from the one he had in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. Check out his post in the space below:

Obviously, this isn't an actual still from Episode IX, but Boyega's look definitely lines up with previous comments he's made and the production timeline of the movie. Films typically alter a character's physical appearance to illustrate the passage of time in the story, so it wouldn't be surprising if this (or something close to it) is what the creative team came up with for Finn. There's also a business motivation for making characters look different: merchandise. Last Jedi toy sales were down, and a reason for that could have been the fact Episode VIII picks up just moments after Force Awakens. There was little incentive for collectors to buy the new figures since there wasn't much variance. It'll be interesting to see if others like Rey, Poe Dameron, and Kylo Ren get new looks as well.

The other notable aspect of Boyega's post is him greeting Ackie. It remains to be seen how she fits into the narrative, though it could be a fairly significant part (see: the casting call for a female lead codenamed "Caro"). Of course, the sequel trilogy is full of young leads already, many of whom have been part of the trilogy from the beginning and have their own individual storylines that need to be wrapped up. If Ackie is a principal member of the ensemble, Abrams will have a to pull off a tricky balancing act to service everyone in the movie. Of course, he's no stranger to working with large casts, so he likely has a strong handle on things.