John Boyega Is Actually Returning To Star Wars?
John Boyega is rumored to return to Star Wars in Daisy Ridley's upcoming Rey film.
John Rocha recently shared that John Boyega might be returning in the upcoming Star Wars: New Jedi Order. The Bespin Bulletin reports that Rocha shared this news, which he says comes from sources close to the production whom he trusts, on a recent episode of his podcast The Hot Mic. Rumors surrounding the production have been circulating for some time, initially attaching Damon Lindelof to the project as its primary writer.
The John Boyega rumor, though, comes after a shake-up in the Star Wars film’s production, with Lindelof apparently having been let go from the project as Lucasfilm has chosen to go with a script by Steven Knight of Peaky Blinders fame. The original version of the film was reported to be helmed by Ms. Marvel‘s Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and was set to feature an as-yet-unnamed actor, possibly a woman of color. But that actor and Obaid-Chinoy are apparently no longer attached to the project, having left with Lindelof because of story changes.
Will those story changes see John Boyega returning to Star Wars? We don’t know for certain yet, but with Boyega’s character Finn having been hinted to possess Force abilities in previous films, there could be some very interesting developments, should he return. As readers might recall from our scoop, one actor who has been announced is Daisy Ridley, who will be reprising her role as Rey Skywalker.
Her role would not be as a lead, reportedly, but it does help open the door for John Boyega’s Star Wars return even more since the two characters are linked. It will be a while before much is known for certain, as production has reportedly been pushed back. The film was set to begin production this summer but will instead begin in February to accommodate the writing changes. However, the studio still seems set on a December 2025 release date.
Fans would surely love to see John Boyega back in Star Wars again, especially alongside his co-star Ridley, as the pair are among the favorite characters in the sequel trilogy. However, John Rocha’s podcast co-host Jeff Sneider offers some caution for that particular casting speculation—or any other. He notes that pre-production will probably begin in August, meaning that casting will unlikely occur before then.
So, if John Boyega is returning to Star Wars, it could be months before we know with any certainty. With four films in pre-production and coming off a role in The Woman King, Boyega has a lot going for him right now, but we imagine he still picks up the phone when Lucasfilm calls. We’d love to see him return to the franchise, and if Daisy Ridley’s involvement is as strong a clue as we think it is, we’re inclined to give some weight to the rumor of his return.
But John Boyega is at the mercy of the same Star Wars machine that saw Disney take a hard turn after The Last Jedi, completely changing the direction of the franchise and angering many fans in the process. Since there has already been an apparent complete overhaul of the film this early in the process, there’s no telling what could change next.
