Actor John Boyega has slammed Star Wars fans, pinning the franchise’s terrible ratings on “White Supremacy.” In a bold claim, the black actor insists that resistance to diverse heroes, like his character, reflects deep-seated racial bias among viewers, tanking the series’ appeal.
In the Apple TV+ documentary Number One on the Call Sheet, Boyega, known for portraying a former Storm Trooper in the trilogy beginning with 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, doubles down on his stance. He argues that fans’ unease with black characters in leading roles has fueled backlash against the sci-fi saga, pointing to a broader reluctance to embrace diversity in the iconic franchise.
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“Let me tell you, Star Wars always had the vibe of being in the most whitest, elite space,” Boyega declared.
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“This is a franchise that’s so white that it’s like a black person existing in that was something,” he added.
Infowars.com reports: The actor went on to claim pivotal characters like The Empire Strikes Back‘s Lando Calrissian were mere side characters or afterthoughts.
“And you can always tell it’s something when some Star Wars fans try to say, ‘Well, you know, we had Lando Calrissian and had Samuel L. Jackson.’ That’s like telling me how many cookie chips are on the cookie dough. I’m like, ‘They just scattered that in there, bro!’”
Boyega went on to say Hollywood also kept black actors from main hero roles, saying, “They’re OK with us playing the best friend, but once we touch their heroes, once we lead, once we trailblaze, it’s like, ‘Oh my God, it’s just a bit too much. They’re pandering!’”
Elsewhere in his comments, Boyega accused Disney of marketing his character as important, despite giving him an unimportant role.
“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,” Boyega said in the documentary. “It’s not good. I’ll say it straight up.”
Footage from a 1983 premier of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi illustrates how the franchise’s fan base is actually much more diverse than Boyega realizes, effectively rendering his comments on their racism moot.