Star Wars shares its support for actor John Boyega, following his speech at a Black Lives Matter protest in London. Boyega is well-known in the Star Wars world for his role as Finn, a former Stormtrooper turned hero. He starred in all three films of the sequel trilogy, ending with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in December 2019. Though Finn is a fairly new character considering the length of the Skywalker saga, he's a favorite of many, especially for his relationship with Oscar Isaac's Poe Dameron. Boyega isn't confirmed to appear in any more Star Wars films at this time, but it could certainly happen in the future.
Boyega made headlines on Wednesday for his participation in the protest. He gave an impressive speech about the death of George Floyd, also naming some of the countless other black people who were unjustly killed in recent years. At one point, Boyega made a reference to his work, saying "Look, I don't know if I'm gonna have a career after this, but f*** that." Almost immediately after his speech made its way online, several high-profile directors reassured Boyega they would be honored to work with him, including Jordan Peele, Cathy Yan, and Phil Lord.
Now, Boyega's Star Wars family has his back as well. Lucasfilm tweeted out a statement of support from the official Star Wars Twitter account, saying in part, "Lucasfilm stands with John Boyega and his message that, 'Now is the time. Black lives have always mattered. Black lives have always been important. Black lives have always meant something.'" The company ended the statement calling Boyega "our hero," and also included a link to his full speech. Boyega's Star Wars co-star Mark Hamill also voiced his admiration for the actor's activism, tweeting, "Never been more proud of you, John. Love, dad." Lastly, J.J. Abrams, who directed Boyega in both Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker chimed in, revealing his "deep respect and love" for Boyega.
The show of support from Lucasfilm shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, considering parent company Disney just announced a $5 million pledge to the NAACP and other social justice organizations. Additionally, both Star Wars and Marvel Studios tweeted out their support of the Black Lives Matter movement earlier this week. However, it's wonderful to see the company, Hamill, and Abrams so enthusiastic in their support of Boyega. Though likely not the most important thing on his mind right now, the actor must be happy to know his Star Wars family is behind him.
A number of other Hollywood stars have already joined the Black Lives Matter protests in different parts of the country and world, and it seems likely more will take to the streets in the coming days. During such a pivotal time in our nation's history, it's nice to see prominent figures in the industry use their voices for good. Hopefully, others will follow Boyega - and Star Wars' - lead.
Source: Star Wars, Mark Hamill, J.J. Abrams