John Boyega Discusses Going Undercover Into The First Order in The Last Jedi

Despite many audiences taking issue with many elements of The Force Awakens feeling too familiar to the original Star Wars trilogy, filmmaker J.J. Abrams gave us the all-new character Finn, a First Order Stormtrooper who wanted to leave that lifestyle behind. The prequel trilogy might have expanded on the concept of the Stormtroopers’ origins, revealing the creation of Clone troopers, but Finn’s persistence that fighting for a cause he didn’t believe in created an incredibly compelling new character with a rich backstory.

Taken from his family as a young boy, the only name the character ever knew was FN-2187, which Resistance pilot Poe Dameron ditched in favor of “Finn,” showing the soldier that there was far more to life than the First Order.

As teased in the trailer for The Last Jedi, Finn might have spent much of The Force Awakens trying to avoid run-ins with the First Order, but something will compel him to return to their forces to infiltrate the regime for a covert mission.

Considering how difficult it was for Finn to leave the First Order in the initially, returning to them in order to serve the Resistance is easier said than done, according to actor John Boyega.

“Imagine you work at McDonald’s…”

When speaking with IGN about Finn’s more secretive mission, Boyega joked, “Well, it’s like imagine you work at McDonald’s. You push your manager into a chute compactor and then a year later you decide to go back dressed as one of the colleagues. It’s not the best situation.”

He added, “There’s a lot of chasing, there’s a mission that needs to be completed but that isn’t necessarily something that doesn’t come without a fight and it’s something that he’s gonna have to face for himself.”

Luckily, Finn won’t be alone on this mission, as the trailer for The Last Jedi hinted that new character Rose (Kelly Marie Tran), who is an integral part of the Resistance, leads the spy mission into the First Order.

 

The Power of a Helmet

The idea of returning to a place of business that you left on less than positive terms might be a terrifying concept to many of us, but according to Boyega, things are a little bit different for the world of Star Wars.

“It was fun for me. I always wanted to go undercover. Star Wars undercover is different because you wear a hat and all of a sudden no one recognizes you,” detailed Boyega. “I’d be thinking to myself walking in one of those scenes, isn’t anyone gonna go, ‘Wait, isn’t that Finn?’ Do you know what I mean? But such is the magic of Star Wars. It’s fun. It’s fun to do. It’s cool.”

Whether it was Luke Skywalker and Han Solo infiltrating the Death Star, Leia entering Jabba’s Palace, or Rey stealing the Death Star plans, the Star Wars saga has proven time and time again just how effective a helmet can be at deceiving your enemies.

The Last Jedi lands in theaters December 15.

More Star Wars

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the second film in the new Star Wars sequel trilogy that began with Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015. The film will deal with Luke training Rey to become a, and possibly the last, Jedi. Meanwhile, the Resistance, including Poe Dameron and First Order defector Finn, continues to fight against the First Order, led by General Hux, while Supreme Leader Snoke and his Dark Side follower Kylo Ren continue their mysterious plot.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is written and directed by Rian Johnson and stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Andy Serkis, Benicio Del Toro, Laura Dern, and Kelly Marie Tran.

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