John Boyega Is The Hero We Need…But Don’t Look For Him In The MCU!

TheRoot.com, By Stephanie Holland, Posted September 12th 2022

‘I want to donate my services to original indie films that come with new, fresh ideas,’ the Star Wars star said.

I’m a diehard Star Wars fan, so I can tell you the most disappointing aspect of the sequel trilogy was the lack of character development and story for John Boyega’s Finn. The reason it came as such a let down is because the actor is an undeniable star.

After taking advantage of his career bump with three Star Wars films, Pacific Rim: Uprising and the limited series Small Axe, the son of Nigerian immigrants needed a break to recharge and reassess his career.

Now he’s back with three interesting films set to take over the second half of the year, but before the Attack the Block star gets to those, there’s another major franchise Boyega is rumored to be involved in: the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unfortunately for fans who desperately want to see him as a superhero, it appears we’ll have to keep wishing.

“That’s not in the vision for me now,” Boyega told Men’s Health. “I want to do nuanced things…I want to donate my services to original indie films that come with new, fresh ideas, because I know it’s real hard to top Iron Man in that universe.”

The Detroit actor’s respect for Iron Man isn’t surprising once you find out he received some fascinating advice from Robert Downey Jr.

Downey told the BAFTA-award winner, “They’re not going to know what to do with you when you come into the industry; they’re going to be like, ‘Oh, let’s just make him well-spoken and nice.’ That’s kind of the filter. You’re going to go through some turbulence. You’re going to try to find who you are within this. It might be rocky, but you’ll come out the end with a solid identity.”

“That’s literally what happened to me,” Boyega said.

The actor found his identity in front of the world when his impromptu speech at a Black Lives Matter rally in London went viral. Speaking out has always been a part of his personality, but he feels it’s more important than it’s ever been right now.

“Any of us keeping our mouth shut at this point, it doesn’t really feel too comfortable,” he said. “Because even if you’re British, working in the States; the gun’s going to go off before your accent does.”

Boyega acknowledges that there was backlash, but tells detractors, “Our empowerment is not your demise.”

“Of course there’s backlash. Seen and unseen,” he said. “It’s just how it goes. You’ll see who’s for you and who’s really not…this is who I am. I’m going to speak about what I believe in and make sure that whatever I do is aimed at supporting the people.”

Get ready to enjoy a whole lot of John Boyega as he can be seen in a trifecta of upcoming films. Breaking, where he plays a veteran in crisis, is scheduled for release Aug. 26; The Woman King, featuring him as King Ghezo, hits theaters Sept. 16 and mind-bending mystery They Cloned Tyrone, which co-stars Jamie Foxx, premieres on Netflix later this year.

And just in case you were wondering if Boyega is interested in donning a tuxedo and shaken martini for another famous franchise, he says no, “But you know if they give me that call, I’ll be there.”