Josh is a film critic and journalist with over six years of experience, covering all things Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and more.
John Boyega's Finn was at one point one of the most intriguing new characters in the Star Wars franchise. First introduced in 2015 in The Force Awakens, Finn was teased to have a big future in a galaxy far, far away, but things didn't quite turn out that way.
The original plan was for Finn to become a Jedi Knight across the course of the trilogy, but what materialized was a story of a stormtrooper turned Rebel, with only a tease about Force powers. In the years since, Boyega has shared his disappointment that his Jedi plans didn't come to fruition. Given the actor's recent comments teasing talks about a return to Star Wars, here's how Finn can make his reemergence in the franchise. John Boyega Has Spoken With New Lucasfilm Chief About Return At Megacon Orlando this past weekend, Boyega was asked about returning to Star Wars. He has, in the past, often given coy answers, refusing to give a definitive answer one way or the other. However, this time around, the English actor gave fans a bit more of a tease. After a fan shouted from the crowd, "Get on the phone," Boyega replied, saying, "I actually have." It's a clear sign that talks about Boyega's return are finally moving in the right direction, as the actor had never publicly revealed conversations with studio executives before this. Speculation has been rampant for years that Boyega would come back in Daisy Ridley's upcoming Rey film, to which the Finn actor has said he's"happy for ," but didn't elaborate more than that. Ridley herself has voiced her desire for Boyega to return, too. However, his more recent comments suggest something more might be in the works this time around. Finn Should Get His Own Star Wars Solo Movie These comments don't give fans a hint on how Finn might return, but the path forward may be a solo film, just like Rey. There are plenty of interesting stories to work with in the years post Episode IX, meaning that the writers would have a clear runway to work with to craft a Finn movie. Additionally, Finn's character has always been one deserving of his own solo movie. Finn is a thematically rich, original character that has one of the most unique backstories in the entire series. A stormtrooper, kidnapped from birth to serve the First Order, going on to defect to the Resistance is a compelling and captivating origin for a character that sets up so many more stories to tell. Some of these stories were told in the sequel trilogy, but, like Rey, there's still plenty of room for expansion. The Rise of Skywalker felt like only the beginning of the next stage of Finn's character arc with the tease of growing Force powers, so a Finn movie would follow up on that greatly. After Star Wars has been absent from movie theaters for a number of years now, Disney are reportedly focused on identifying characters who can not only lead new films, but attract audiences and guarantee a successful box office return. This is said to be a key factor in the decision to bring back Rey, too, as the sequel films she led grossed billions of dollars. Finn can be another character to bring successful numbers back to Star Wars. He was a co-lead in The Force Awakens, the highest grossing film of the sequel trilogy, and during the build up of that movie, Finn was a huge part of the marketing that intrigued audiences about the new Star Wars story. All of this is to say that Finn has been a successful character in the decade since his debut, and would, if executed correctly, provide a film that is simultaneously high grossing and an excellent follow-up to the sequel trilogy. A Finn Solo Movie Would Redeem Sequel Trilogy Mistakes Finn is one of the biggest casualties of the changing vision for the overarching story of the sequel trilogy. Both JJ Abrams and Rian Johnson had interesting ideas for where his character could go, but when put together, these concepts ended up clashing more than linking up synchronously. That Finn never became a Jedi in the sequels remains one of the core mistakes of the trilogy. It was teased right from the marketing of The Force Awakens, but then abruptly changed in The Last Jedi, only to then be teased rather than followed through with in The Rise of Skywalker. A Finn movie could change that. A story solely centered on Finn, without the lingering presence of Kylo Ren or Rey, would allow the character's transition into a Jedi to be shown completely, with no distractions. This isn't to say that other sequel characters can't be in the film, but Finn being the main focus will be a benefit to his character. Subscribe to the newsletter for Finn-focused Star Wars insight Explore deeper perspective by subscribing to the newsletter—get character-driven analysis of Finn's future, thoughtful takes on franchise choices, and curated Star Wars coverage that adds context to ongoing developments. Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. Plot wise, there are a few different areas a Finn film can go into. One option is to focus on Finn's rise as a Jedi, showing him training to become an established Jedi Knight. He could train with Rey or another new character as part of this potential story. Another option is to move beyond Finn's training and instead show him as an already established Jedi fighting against dark side forces. This may be the most original story option, as Jedi training has been a frequent plot point in recent Star Wars projects. A Finn movie can also redeem the character's interactions with villains as well. In the sequel trilogy, Finn went up against Kylo Ren almost immediately, but never came face to face against Adam Driver's character again. This was disappointing, especially given that it appeared Finn and Ren were being set up to have a rivalry in The Force Awakens. Kylo Ren is gone at this point in the timeline . However, there are still plenty of other villains Finn can come against. The upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter is paving the way in terms of post-Episode IX Dark Side Force users, and a Finn-centric Star Wars movie could potentially follow suit with that. Star Wars Created by George Lucas First Film Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope Cast Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Ian McDiarmid, Ewan McGregor, Rosario Dawson, Lars Mikkelsen, Rupert Friend, Moses Ingram, Frank Oz, Pedro Pascal TV Show The Mandalorian, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Lando, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Star Wars: Resistance, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, Star Wars: Visions Movie Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, Star Wars: New Jedi Order Character Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Rey Skywalker, Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Grand Inquisitor, Reva , The Fifth Brother, The Seventh Sister, The Eighth Brother, Yoda, Din Djarin, Grogu, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Leia Organa, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren
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