John Boyega tells fans freaking out about black Stormtroopers to “get used to it”
In case you haven’t heard, John Boyega plays a black First Order Stormtrooper in The Force Awakens. And, according to the actor, detractors need to “get used to it.” As Boyega told V Magazine in a recent interview: “I’m in the movie, what are you going to do about it?”
There has always been some concern about a lack of color—outside of Lando Calrissian, Willrow Hood, and Grizz Frix—in the original Star Wars trilogy. (Director John Landis even asked George Lucas, “George, is everybody in outer space white?,” after seeing Star Wars for the first time.) There was an attempt to rectify this in the prequel trilogy, but The Force Awakens, as well as Rogue One, appear to be introducing more major characters of color and icky girls into lead roles. “I’m not saying get used to the future,” Boyega continues, “but what is already happening. People of color and women are increasingly being shown on screen. For things to be whitewashed just doesn’t make any sense.”