John Boyega, best known to Star Wars fans as Finn, recently revealed that he had envisioned a far darker and more complex arc for his character and Daisy Ridley’s Rey in the sequel trilogy. Speaking at Fan Expo Boston, Boyega said he picked up on subtle hints of Finn’s Force sensitivity while reading the script for The Force Awakens.
In his mind, this set the stage for a dramatic evolution – a rivalry akin to the legendary Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader dynamic – where allies would eventually turn against each other.
Boyega imagined Finn and Rey as dual Jedi whose bond would fracture, leading to emotional and physical conflict. “I thought they would Obi-Wan and Darth Vader us,” he explained, suggesting a tragic clash that could have elevated Finn’s story. Instead, Finn’s possible Force abilities were only teased briefly – most notably when he wielded a lightsaber – and then quietly dropped. By the time of The Rise of Skywalker, audiences were left with little more than vague allusions, like Finn telling Rey he had a secret that was never revealed on-screen. Director J.J. Abrams would later confirm this was meant to be his Force sensitivity.
As a former Stormtrooper who broke free from the First Order, Finn entered the saga with a fresh perspective on the Star Wars conflict. His strongest early connection was with Rey, but subsequent films shifted focus toward Rey’s ties to the Jedi legacy and her relationship with Kylo Ren. Finn’s role diminished, with The Last Jedi sending him on a side mission to Canto Bight alongside Rose Tico, ending with her preventing his attempted sacrifice. By The Rise of Skywalker, Rose herself was sidelined, and Finn largely served as Poe Dameron’s wingman.
The missed opportunity frustrates many fans, who believe the trilogy could have explored Finn’s unique background, Force potential, and emotional growth in a richer way. While Rey is set to return in a future Star Wars film, there’s no confirmed path for Finn. Boyega’s vision of a hero-turned-adversary story remains an intriguing “what if” in a trilogy that, for some, already left too many threads dangling.