Star Wars could continue Finn’s story – with or without John Boyega

John Boyega’s Finn quickly became a beloved Star Wars character when he first appeared in The Force Awakens. His one-liners were on point. His chemistry with Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Poe (Oscar Issac) was near-perfect. He even held his own against Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) longer than expected. And even though he didn’t get the ending many hoped for, Finn and Boyega remain central parts of what made the sequel trilogy special.

We’ve gotten small doses of Finn outside the movies in several books and comics (and we can’t forget the LEGO Holiday Special, where he got to train with Rey). But beyond that, it’s been relatively unclear where his story might go next. Or if it would go anywhere at all. And even if Finn does make an appearance again, would the original actor be the one to portray him?

Boyega reprising his role as Finn in a future live-action show or movie — or even voicing him in short clips or an animated show — would be a welcome sight after learning about the frustrations he addressed with the way he and his character were handled in recent years. It wouldn’t be easy to adjust to someone else playing Finn. In many hears, Boyega IS Finn.

Whether or not the actor plans on returning to the franchise in the near or distant future is unclear. He’s quite busy with other projects over the past few years. But there are ways to expand on Finn’s backstory and continue his adventures post-Rise of Skywalker without Boyega if doing so were necessary.

Rumor: A Finn series could be in the works

Star Wars News Net teased recent rumors about a Finn-focused Disney+ series, but even if that does happen, it might be a while. There are nearly a dozen Star Wars projects already in the works, many of them expected to be Disney+ exclusives. Things could shift around, but we’re much more likely to get a book or comic expanding his story in the next few years than we are another show.

Origin stories of varying kinds have been the foundation of many beloved Star Wars stories throughout the decades. The entire prequel trilogy focused on Darth Vader’s roots and what made Anakin Skywalker turn to the Dark Side. With so many movies and shows in the works though, a standalone novel, or even a trilogy of books, could expand Finn’s character and narrative in ways the sequel trilogy couldn’t.

Just because a story is told in a book or comic instead of a movie or show doesn’t mean it’s any less important. As Star Wars fans, we don’t have to read or even watch everything. There’s so much Star Wars out there that we now have the luxury of picking and choosing what we want to consume and what we’d rather leave for others to enjoy.

And with a character like Finn, you might read a mini-series of comics about him because you love his character and want to know more … and never open another comic book after that. That’s OK. Stories are meant to be told in different mediums for different reasons. If you just happen to decide you want to read more comics featuring sequel trilogy characters after Finn’s story, that’s a bonus, not a requirement. The perk of a book or comic, of course, would be that Boyega wouldn’t have to be involved, but his character could still get the expansion he deserves.

We know very little about Finn’s First Order upbringing and even less about what happens to him after The Rise of Skywalker. It seems sequel trilogy-focused stories aren’t the primary focus of the Lucasfilm Story Group at this moment, but that doesn’t mean stories featuring these characters won’t pop up here and there or become more frequent later on.

Finn’s story, regardless of where it’s told, is worth continuing. We’d love to have Boyega back, and could see him in Star Wars again in the future. But his character’s story has options in terms of where it appears. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens next.

What kind of Star Wars project do you want to see Finn in next?