John Boyega shuts down Star Wars return rumours: ‘I’ve moved on’

Actor wrote ‘lol no thank you’ when asked about reprising the role of Finn

John Boyega has said he has “moved on” from the Star Wars franchise, amid calls for the actor to reprise his character in future films.

The British star played the role of reformed Stormtrooper, Finn, in Disney’s sequel trilogy (comprised of The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker).

On Instagram, Boyega posted a picture of himself on a film set with the caption: “Back on set!”

Underneath, a fan commented: “Force Finn in action with green lightsaber dressed in black is all I want from the next SW film!”

Boyega responded to the suggestion by writing: “lol no thank you. I’ve moved on.” Reacting to a comment by another fan, the actor clarified that he is “not into playing one role for too long”, adding that he has “more to offer than that”.

Earlier this year, Boyega described Rise of Skywalker as “very fulfilling” but admitted it had “some disappointments”. The film received an underwhelming reaction from critics and fans.

In June, Boyega was widely praised for delivering an impassioned speech to Black Lives Matter protesters in Hyde Park, following the killing of George Floyd.

“I’m speaking to you from my heart. Look, I don’t know if I’m going to have a career after this, but f*** that,” he told the crowd.

“Today is about innocent people who were halfway through their process, we don’t know what George Floyd could have achieved, we don’t know what Sandra Bland could have achieved, but today we’re going to make sure that won’t be an alien thought to our young ones.”

Boyega’s comments prompted an outpouring of support from the industry, as many high-profile filmmakers announced their desire to work with Boyega in the future.