Marvel Studios has become elite at collecting the Infinity Stones of great actors in Hollywood to join its universe of talent, but John Boyega will not be one of them.
In a recent interview with Men’s Health, the Star Wars actor discussed why he doesn’t currently see films in the also-owned-by-Disney MCU being in his future.
“That’s not in the vision for me now,” Boyega told writer Lola Ogunnaike. “I want to do nuanced things…I want to donate my services to original indie films that come with new, fresh ideas, because I know it’s real hard to top Iron Man in that universe.”
While Boyega is right and it is nearly impossible to top Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Iron Man, his agent Femi Oguns contextualized why the actor wants to stay away from roles that might be expected of him.
“To disrupt the industry and also to make history, and nothing has changed,” Oguns says. “For John, it was never about trying to fit into the box. He wants to be the outline of the box.”
Oguns continued by explaining why Boyega would also turn down stereotypical characters like a drug dealer, gangster, or athlete. “For John, it’s all about accountability. He doesn’t want to be defined by any stereotypical roles.”
Boyega also talked about the legacy of his Star Wars character Finn and why he was glad to have spoken out about the racist treatment of the character in 2020.
“I’m the one that brought this to the freaking forefront,” the 30-year-old said. “At least the people going into it now, after my time, [they’re] cool. [Lucasfilm is] going to make sure you’re well supported and at least you [now] go through this franchise knowing that everybody is going to have [your] back. I’m glad I talked out everything at that time.”
While some fans might be disappointed not to see Boyega in a Marvel title in the near future, on Aug. 26 he’s starring in and executive producing the film Breaking, also featuring Nicole Beharie, the late Michael K. Williams, Connie Britton, and more.
