The release of the new Star Wars teaser trailer features Attack the Block actor John Boyega and apart from the fact that this has caused major ripples among fans of the verse, it is exciting to see such a powerful young actor cast in a huge blockbuster film. Intertwined with the palpable excitement that this trailer has caused are the usual fans who want to complain vociferously about what appears to be a black storm trooper. One tweet got straight to the point with message that “politically correct rubbish” was going to fill the next portion of the Star Wars franchise.
YouTube, where the Star Wars trailer aired, is full of some pretty nasty comments about social justice warriors who push for diversity in everything, which is a good thing, and just how unhappy certain fans are about the inclusion of a man of color as a stormtrooper. This knee jerk reaction to a clip showing Boyega’s character partially dressed as trooper shows that some fans have not considered that perhaps he is not a stormtrooper at all, but obviously common sense has no real place in the fandom of this verse.
Apparently none of these people have ever seen John Boyega work on screen, if they had, the possibility of his being a stormtrooper would not matter. The young actor burst onto the screen with his portrayal of Moses, the London street gang leader who, along with most of his underage “thugs,” take on an alien invasion around the boroughs of the United Kingdom capital’s inner city. Attack the Block was written and directed by Joe Cornish and it was his first feature length film. Apart from the two “big names” in the film, Jodie Whittaker (Venus, Broadchurch) and Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz, Paul) the youngsters who played the “misunderstood” gang members lead by John Boyega, were all unknowns. John has moved from strength to strength since his debut feature film and seeing this young English actor in the Star Wars teaser trailer is quite exciting.
For those who have seen the 22 year old actor in the comedy science fiction film it is immediately apparent that the, then, 19 year old performer possessed a huge set of acting chops that only needed experience to make them more impressive. Before turning up in the Star Wars clip on YouTube, Boyega was on 24, for a total of four episodes and a slew of other projects that included television and film. The Peckham lad trained for the stage and worked at the National Theatre before snagging his first big film role in Attack the Block.
In his debut film, Boyega exudes the type of aura associated with the academy award winning actor Sidney Poitier. John’s roles have been fairly diverse in the short time after his appearance in Attack the Block where he played a juvenile gang leader. The Star Wars teaser trailer that features the London actor in stormtrooper garb, may have caused a bit of a tempest in a trooper’s armor, but it has excited fans that the next episode is upcoming. Boyega is also involved, in pre production, with Caesar where he is listed as Titinius on IMDb. Star Wars: The Force Awakens has the young actor in distinguished company and there is no doubt that this new face on the scene will become a firm fixture in future blockbuster films.
By Michael Smith
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