look, from a simple ‘i understand narrative storytelling’, it was crystal clear that the force awakens was setting up a trilogy with a finnrey endgame, rey training with the jedi, and finn discovering he is force sensitive (and training too). they were written as co-protagonists, with both of them wielding luke bloody skywalker’s lightsaber to fight with.
finn went from being not the ‘second most important character’ but the joint first most important character in that trilogy to being cast aside completely in film two. the finnrey seeds which had absolutely been sown, the finn being force sensitive seeds that had also been sown, rey and finn both having reasons to take on kylo ren were all abandoned. the narrative storytelling that the force awakens set up was put aside in the last jedi to start a mess of a ‘redemption arc’ for the white dude.
john boyega isn’t just right in saying finn was pushed aside, he’s right in saying that disney entirely fucked him over. they removed all nuance from finn and gave it to the crusty white kylo ren - which is even more insane when you remember finn has arguably the most interesting back story in the entire trilogy. stolen by the first order as a baby, brainwashed and trained into being a stormtrooper, fights for his own decisions and conscience because he’s a good person, leaves the stormtroopers, joins the resistance, and is force bloody sensitive. how on earth do you look at all that back story in the force awakens and go ‘nah, that character isn’t interesting’. PARDON ME?!?!
it makes me so sad that this role which should have been a dream turned into a nightmare for john. it makes me so sad knowing all the kids who finally saw themselves represented in the star wars universe with finn, who deserved so so much better. and it makes me so sad that this deeply nuanced, kind hearted character of finn was thrown aside like garbage for a ‘white redemption arc’ that frankly didn’t make sense and nobody wanted. john boyega deserved fucking better. he’s right to say what he’s saying. and anyone who thinks he’s talking bullshit, unplug your head from you ass and don’t even get me started on the racial discrimination in marketing such as diminishing the size of his character in posters for china. disney fucked him over and in doing so fucked up what could and should have been such a good trilogy. and it makes me so sad and so fucking angry.
