Actor John Boyega has spoken out about the racial inequity within the latest Star Wars trilogy in a new interview.
When in conversation with GQ magazine, Boyega - who played the character of reformed stormtrooper Finn - suggested that the white characters in the franchise were given more nuance and attention.
"You get yourself involved in projects and you’re not necessarily going to like everything," he told the publication. "What I would say to Disney is: do not bring out a black character, market them to be much more important in the franchise than they are, and then have them pushed to the side. It’s not good. I’ll say it straight up."
Finn, who was a central character in 2015's The Force Awakens and 2017's The Last Jedi, was reportedly posited as a love interest for Daisy Ridley's Rey. However, many fans have criticized his marginalized storyline in The Rise of Skywalker.
"Like, you guys knew what to do with Daisy Ridley, you knew what to do with Adam Driver. You knew what to do with these other people, but when it came to Kelly Marie Tran, when it came to John Boyega, you know f*** all," Boyega continued in his address to Disney.
“So what do you want me to say? What they want you to say is, ‘I enjoyed being a part of it. It was a great experience...’ Nah, nah, nah. I’ll take that deal when it’s a great experience," he added. "They gave all the nuance to Adam Driver, all the nuance to Daisy Ridley. Let’s be honest. Daisy knows this. Adam knows this. Everybody knows. I’m not exposing anything."
Back in June, Boyega made headlines after delivering a powerful address to the crowd at a Black Lives Matter protest in London's Hyde Park.
The official Star Wars Twitter account proceeded to stand behind the actor, writing: "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 evil that is racism must stop. We will commit to being part of the change that is long overdue in the world. John Boyega. You are our hero."