ST John Boyega (Finn) in Episode VII

I could see it. But really, there's no way of telling at this point. We don't even know who their characters are right now.

 

Boyega will knock it out of the park. When I saw his name mentioned in rumors, months back, I knew he would end up with a role. He's perfect for Star Wars. I just had a feeling about him.

 

Why?

 

"Speak Faster" can cut it just fine actually. Some of the most talented current and legendary directors had a similar way with actors or said nearly nothing at all in terms of directing (beyond blocking the action of course). One of my favorite Harrison Ford performances is his role in Blade Runner, in which he was not directed much at all by Ridley Scott. In fact his demeanor on a George Lucas set is a lot more upbeat than what you see from video and photos on that Blade Runner set where he just sat around waiting for the shooting day to end. Jean-Luc Godard wasn't into speaking too much to his actors and neither is Wong Kar-Wai. It's possible for an actor to be too dependent on specific emotional direction and some directors come from the 'I do my job, you do yours' school of thought about acting.

 

Although we haven't seen him in many diverse roles, but If JJ Abrams likes John Boyega to have him lead such universally beloved franchise, I am sure he must see some BIG talent out of him.

I don't think JJ is casting him because he is black, but because he is a very talented actor who has amazing combat abilities that Wowed JJ.

Something must definitively Wowed JJ to win a competition that Millions of other talents did not get.... we always have to keep this in mind. Black or white, so MANY MANY other very talented actors competed for this role and lost to him. That must say something about how good he was when he auditioned.

So, despite not seeing enough of John Boyega, I don't believe he will suck because I have faith in JJ's judgments of talented actors!

The Daisy Ridley videos proved that JJ knows talent.

 

I'm not sure he will be a Jedi though. I mean, there's been all these rumors about a female lead since the Episode VII announcement, what if he's not a force user... maybe he's a smuggler (like Lando or Han), a pilot (like Wedge or Luke), or a diplomat (Like Leia or Padme). The main lineup doesn't have to be all Jedi.

 

Why can't he be a Jedi? Why must you make him a side kick? Also the Wrap said he was going to be a young jedi.

 

One thing I want to see more upcoming weeks is to see John Boyega sense of humor factor...

BTW, Daisy looks to have great sense of humor!

 

Well, lets just say I prefer it when only 1 out of 3 main characters draws a lightsaber... This is supposed to be the Jedi Order getting back on its feet, and if it is the Jedi starting to get back on their feet there shouldn't be a glut of them in the cast. Riley looks like she's going to be a Solo (Isaac is a maybe, but I'd actually prefer it if he wasn't). If Riley is a Solo she'd be a Jedi or a politician, and I'm a bit sick of female politicians in Star Wars films.

 

Posted this in the Casting Thread but I think it applies here:

I think Boyega is destined for bigger things in Episodes VIII & IX and will be one of the pivotal figures in the trilogy:

Generally, during a table read you have your main actors to either side of the director, then you go down the line of importance until you get minor roles at the end of the table. They are sitting in a circle so basically when you would get to the center of the circle (where Hamill, Daniels and Gleeson are sitting) that's where your smaller roles will be.

So, Ford is sitting right next to JJ along with Daisy Ridley and Fisher to JJ's left, and Adam Driver to his right. My guess is the crux of the Episode VII story is going to focus on the Solo family with Driver being the primary baddie. There is a new threat to the galaxy (no idea if its Empire relayed, but I kind of doubt it) led by Driver and his minions and the Republic is struggling to deal with it. Somewhere along the way the John Boyega character is introduced (he's apparently strong with the Force, but is untrained). The Republic is on the ropes and in a desperate effort Leia dispatches her daughter and the Boyega character to find Luke and ask him to once again serve the Republic.

They find him on Tatooine living as a moisture farmer (think Shane or Unforgiven... the hero who hangs up his guns for a "better" life). Unlike in the EU, Luke decided to walk away from everything after the war fearing that restoring the Jedi Order would only lead the Republic to repeat the mistakes of the past. Luke, a widower, lives on Tatooine with his son (played by Domhnall Gleeson). After a bunch of cajoling, maybe even an attack by the bad guys, Luke is once again pressed into service.

Big space battle in the end... Ford gets his death but the heroes win the day with the enemy in retreat, waiting to unfurl the next part of their plan (revealed in Episode VIII).

Luke becomes more of the focus in Episode VIII training the Solo daughter, his son and Boyega (who takes on the main hero role)... at some point Luke's son probably needs to die in Episode VIII, or be turned to the Dark Side by our villains so Boyega can assume the mantle as the next of the Jedi.

Just some random speculation on my part...

 

Or Boyega sacrifice himself(die) to save another

 

I agree totally. Returning actors are Star Wars veterans. Also Sydow brings his experience. If it was Geroge Lucas running the show I'd feel a little better about the newbs, but not sure JJ can direct them in a "Star Wars" film.

 

Heroic Sacrifice is for the old cast.

 

This is actually by far the best Episode VII plot idea I've read on here, well done

 

I've never seen table reads that have the most important next to the director. Sure, it may happen - but by no means is it the rule.

 

To be honest, I don't see how Luke would abandon Leia for years and live as a hermit somewhere else. He always longed for love he didn't get from the Lars' (at least not from Owen), and now that he found the only living family member he has left, I doubt he'd give that up. And if Han and Leia get a child or even multiple children, and if they're force sensitive, why would Luke start training them only later in their lives? I imagine Luke being present in Leia's life, whatever role she's playing in the GFFA and that he is going to train her child(ren) among other force sensitives he found in these 3 decades.

 

I think it's the other way around. The monastic style of life of the Old Republic Jedi led to tension and stress in younglings minds. That's why we get situations like Anakin.
Luke should understand this problem and change that rule, like protestants did with the Catholic Church's no marriage rule.

 

Why? Because in the 30 years have passed Ford became a superstar and Hamill worked as a voice actor(not counting his cameo as cocknocker in Jay and Silent Bob Strikes back). Ford will be billed first since he is both a returning cast member and a big name.

As for Boyega..I never saw him in anything so I'll reserve judgement.

 

Billing doesn't work according to who is biggest name, it works according to who the lead characters are.

Sam Jackson & Robert Redford are huge movie stars, but they got billed after Chris Evans & Scarlett Johansson in Captain America and were last in the cast listing at the end of the movie.

 

Exactly. It will go Hamill Ford Fisher - as it always did. Why? Because Luke Skywalker is a lead regardless of what Ford's career did during and after the OT.

By time RotJ came out, Ford was already in BR and IJ, and he still got billed behind Mark Hamill.

 

It depends on the roles now though, maybe Luke won't be as important in this movie as he was in the OT.

 

I would reaally love to see a Turquoise lightsaber like that one in the movies.

 

I have to admit, I kinda got nervous back on the 18th when he did an interview with the THR, claiming that JJ had not contacted him yet for his first audition. Whether he was lying or telling the truth, I'm not sure. Even when Screen Rant and LR claimed that he might be up for a role in the next Terminator movie, I remember feeling worried for a little bit. I'm glad he made the right choice.

I'm guessing that if he turns out to be a Jedi, then his home planet might be Haruun Kal, the same home of Mace Windu. I read in SW: Shatterpoint, that most people on that planet are force sensitive. I'm also going to guess that he might be practicing the fighting style known as Vaapad. I'm intrigued as to how that might look like on the silver screen.

 

If they were using self professed Solo-fanboy Arndt's draft, I might agree with you. Using JJ/LK/KK's version, combined with how GL set up the Saga, there is no way Han is more important than Luke.

 

Han is said to have a "gigantic" role in the new movie, if his kid(s) is to be the main lead for the rest of the trilogy I would assume that puts him above Luke in terms of influence.Luke can play the Obi Wan wise man role but in the background, not sure if he'll be doing as much as before. If the plan is to kill off Han in the first movie, Ford would have a lot to do whereas Luke being alive until the last one would mean spreading out his stuff.