Michael B. Jordan and Saoirse Ronan
Michael B. Jordan has a pretty impressive resume.
The Wire. Fruitvale Station. Creed. Black Panther.
That resume could have also included Episodes VII, VIII and IX. Jordan read for a role in The Force Awakens, seemingly for Finn, which went to John Boyega.
“I mean, everybody’s going in on this project. They’re trying to figure out what they want. That’s another incredible franchise. It’s pretty crazy … we’ll see how it happens. I don’t know how I can do everything,” Jordan told HuffPost in 2013.
At the time, internet speculation suggested Jordan auditioned for the role of Lando Calrissian’s son, which hasn’t been disproven. Billy Dee Williams is reprising his role as Lando in Episode IX: The Last Jedi, which should offer insight into Rey and Finn’s backgrounds.
Jordan wasn’t the only actor who failed to get a part after confirming their secretive audition process for The Force Awakens. Saoirse Ronan — who was up for the role of Rey — made similar comments as Jordan about everyone auditioning, and ended up losing out to Daisy Ridley.
Ronan has done OK for herself as well, winning the Academy Award for Lady Bird and performing in other critical hits such as The Grand Budapest Hotel.