The Star Wars sequel trilogy proved to be divisive from a storytelling perspective, but most viewers enjoyed what the actors brought to their roles. Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Adam Driver breathed new life into the long-running franchise, displaying strong chemistry with each other as they put fresh spins on established Star Wars archetypes. Despite the unevenness of the sequel trilogy’s narrative, many people would enjoy seeing these performers return to the galaxy far, far away and get an opportunity to add to their characters’ legacies (see: the outpouring of support for the cancelled The Hunt for Ben Solo). Ridley is set to come back in Star Wars: New Jedi Order, but if one of her co-stars is to join her, Lucasfilm has to meet some conditions first.
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During an appearance at Liverpool Comic Con (via Collider), Boyega outlined what it would take for him to come back as Finn. “Me and Oscar are very stubborn, and we believe the bromance should only be on the big screen. It has to be a movie and obviously a great script,” he said. “And I already spoke to [Chewbacca actor] Joonas [Suotamo] today and said, ‘Joonas, you must join Poe and Finn on their adventure.’ So if I get those combinations, who knows.”
The Timing Could Be Perfect for John Boyega’s Star Wars Return
Boyega hasn’t become attached to any Star Wars projects in development, but if he’s eyeing a return to the franchise, now could be just the right time for him to come back to the fold. After years of developing TV series for Disney+, Lucasfilm is gearing up for its return to movie theaters. Next summer’s The Mandalorian & Grogu launches a new slate of Star Wars films that also includes Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter. At this year’s Star Wars Celebration in Japan, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy mentioned several other movies that are in development. There are still Star Wars TV shows coming through the pipeline (Ahsoka Season 2), but new films seem to be the top priority again following an extended hiatus.
Lucasfilm also seems interested in exploring the post-sequel trilogy area of the Star Wars timeline. Starfighter is set just a handful of years after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and New Jedi Order obviously continues Rey’s arc from that film. Either of those could be reasonable spots for a Finn return, with New Jedi Order seemingly the most likely. Starfighter has been described as an original story with new characters (though, rumors persist it has key connections to the Skywalker Saga), while New Jedi Order is all about Rey. It’s possible Finn could help his friend get her new Jedi temple off the ground. This would also be a way to atone for one of the sequel trilogy’s mistakes and flesh out the subject of Finn’s Force sensitivity.
A storyline of Finn learning the ways of the Force sounds compelling, but based on Boyega’s comments, he’d be more interested in building on the Finn/Poe dynamic. The two became fast friends in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and audiences would love to see more of their chemistry on screen. Doing the Star Wars equivalent of a buddy cop film around Finn and Poe has a lot of potential, and it’s conceivably something that could happen. Over the summer, Kennedy outlined a new strategy for Star Wars movies, welcoming creatives to come in and tell the stories that most interest them without worrying how everything connects to other projects. Someone with the right pitch could sell Lucasfilm on a standalone adventure movie about Finn and Poe teaming up on a mission for the New Republic in the aftermath of Rise of Skywalker. If Rey can get a spin-off movie, there’s no reason why Finn and Poe can’t follow suit.
Star Wars is finding ways to continue Finn’s story in other mediums of canon, but it’ll be interesting to see if the character is ever featured in a movie again. Understandably, the script will be a sticking point for Boyega — particularly after the issues he personally had with Finn’s arc in the sequel trilogy. New Jedi Order has already cycled through multiple writers, so Lucasfilm is having trouble cracking that story. It remains to be seen if that film actually comes to fruition. Perhaps if Star Wars: Starfighter is successful enough to warrant some kind of follow-up, Ryan Gosling’s character could cross paths with Finn and Poe. Boyega was excellent as Finn, so it would be fun to see him reprise the role somehow.
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