John Boyega has been making a name for himself in the sci-fi genre over the past few years, even before he was cast as Finn in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He first rose to prominence in his native United Kingdom with his role in the sci-fi comedy Attack the Block. He has since appeared in the techno dystopian thriller The Circle and will be appearing in Pacific Rim: Uprising. Now he will be reprising his role of Finn in the upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which will open in theaters on December 15, 2017.
Screen Rant got a chance to talk to John Boyega on press day, where we discussed whether or not we’ll see a Rey and Finn reunion in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, how he would like to explore Finn’s background more outside of the Star Wars Cinematic Universe, and what it was like to spend time on set with Kelly Marie Tran.
SR: First of all congratulations on such a big year. I'm a big fan of Detroit. It was a great film.
John Boyega: Thank you. Thank you.
SR: First question I have is Rey and Finn have this great chemistry together in the first film. How do we see that it evolve in the second film?
John Boyega: They are separate. It's a separate transitioning. You haven't watched the trailers, have you?
SR: I've seen the trailers, but I'm trying to stay away. I don't want to be spoiled.
John Boyega: Well, yeah. There's a... Rey we know is with Luke and Finn is with the Resistance and so there's there's a separation in this.
SR: Will we see them together at all in this film?
John Boyega: Why would I tell you that?
SR: Of course you wouldn't tell me that.
John Boyega: Oh my gosh.
SR: Has there been any fan theory that you've read that has been right about your character?
John Boyega: Why would I tell you that too! Come on, man! I'm trying to help you here man, but you've got to help me.
SR: Maybe you can answer this. The last film we saw a lot of marketing with Finn with a lightsaber to protect the reveal Rey, obviously.
John Boyega: Yeah.
SR: So do you, yourself, would you like to have Finn wield a lightsaber and use the Force?
John Boyega: Let Finn use whatever he has to use to survive these films.(Laughs) Because things are really dangerous in the galaxy right now. so I'm open to a lot of those things. A lightsaber is always good in your hand and it's always good to have one.
SR: Right? Now, there's a lot of room for Finn's backstory to be explored throughout Star Wars lore. Are you open to possibly doing a video game or voice acting some of this stuff? Because Rebels is a thing. So would you do any of that stuff?
John Boyega: I just finished Battlefront 2 for the game and so, that's fun to do, but any extended universe stuff we always get involved. Daisy too and it's been real fun doing that.
SR: You, Yourself, John. How would you like your character's story to kind of see what you like he's finale?
John Boyega: His finale?
SR: Not finale.
John Boyega: You didn't even say like transition. You were, like tell me the end.
SR: Yeah, tell me the end.
John Boyega: I don't think you have as much patience as you think you do.
SR: Oh, I don't have patience at all. It's been a struggle to stay away.
John Boyega: 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?
SR: Now I do know you spend a lot of time with the newcomer, Kelly (Marie Tran). How how is that? What did you teach her on set and back to this film?
John Boyega: It was cool. What I found, I think, it was more just about both of us being colleagues and just being friends and having a good time while we worked through something that's new to her. Something that's semi-okay to me but I was still you know going for my moments of being in the being nervous and stuff and she was there for me to sort of collaborative effort.
SR: And finally, if you had to do a Yoda impression to let fans know what you want them to see from your character in this film, what would it be?
John Boyega: You will see truth. You must. Truth.
MORE: Our Last Jedi Interview With Daisy Ridley
