In the documentary Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood on Apple TV+, actor John Boyega called out the lack of Black representation in the Star Wars universe. Describing it as "the whitest, elite space", the actor stated, "It’s a franchise that’s so white that a Black person existing in (it) was something. You can always tell it’s something when some Star Wars fans try to say, ‘Well, we had Lando Calrissian and had Samuel L Jackson!’ It’s like telling me how many cookie chips are in the cookie dough. It’s like they just scattered that in there."
Boyega's criticism is aimed at not just the Star Wars franchise's creators but also its fans. He substantiated his criticism by saying that Black actors are often cast in stereotypical roles, such as the hero's "best friend", and that choosing them for lead roles or letting them "trailblaze" would mean "pandering" to them.
The criticism is in line with Boyega's past statement about Disney and the promotion of the Star Wars franchise with Black actors in it. In a 2020 interview with GQ Magazine, he stated, "What I would say to Disney is do not bring out a Black character, market them to be much more important in the franchise than they are and then have them pushed to the side."
Boyega played Finn, a disillusioned Stormtrooper, in the Star Wars sequel trilogy—a character that is not as meaty as Disney's marketing made out to be.