My Inner Fanboy Will Not Stop Cheering For John Boyega

Be forewarned, you’ve heard this type of testimony about representation before. You’ve heard it done better and you’ve even heard it from me personally. But this — feels different. Ever since John Boyega was announced for the Star Wars sequel, it felt encouraging that a young Black actor was being initiated into the Star Wars universe. When it became evident that Boyega was not only in the film but had a major role and was sharing the lead roles for the film, I was left a little out of sorts. I was happy when it was announced that Boyega, Lupita Nyong’o (we didn’t know it was only going to be motion cap and voice for her, but whatever) and others but, I hadn’t considered the idea that they might be headlining. Headlining a Star Wars film with a woman co-star. The most popular American Sci-Fi Franchise in history. In the words of Marlo Stanfield, “Don’t seem possible.” And yet, here we were, in the first trailer, the first person we see is a panicked and exasperated Boyega populating the screen in a storm trooper uniform. Again, this took me aback. Was this a ploy? Was this really happening? Was the Star Wars franchise really about to bank its millennial future on a 23 year old Black boy from Peckham, London?

I’m a big Star Wars fan. I’m not winning any nerd offs on Star Wars trivia, but I can run down Phantom Menace to The Return of Jedi to a noob if I’m armed with a free afternoon and a lot of patience. I wasn’t old enough to see the original Trilogy in the theaters, but al…