John Boyega shoots down rumors of secret Marvel movie role
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It appears one major franchise is enough for John Boyega.
The actor has revealed he does not have his sights set on joining the Marvel universe, despite rumors he secretly filmed a role for the MCU.
Boyega, who became a part of the Star Wars series in 2015, is looking to take on more "nuanced" projects, revealing he'd rather focus on smaller productions than blockbusters at this stage in his career.
"That's not in the vision for me now," he told Men's Health for the magazine's September 2022 issue. "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."
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic John Boyega shoots down rumors of secret Marvel movie role
The 30-year-old has several cinematic dramas on the horizon with The Woman King, Breaking, and The Test and notes that he has to be careful about where he chooses to focus his energy. Detailing the ways in which life on set can take a toll, the actor maintains he previously "exhausted" himself by taking on a packed schedule.
"It's tiring and it's stress, and then dealing with the fact that you eventually have to perform. There are many different ways careers can exhaust you, but the artistic way is unique," he said, noting he was "exhausted, frantic and paranoid" due to his intense slate.
The London native was previously linked to Marvel in 2016, when speculation swirled that he was joining the cast of Black Panther.
"You can't have it all," he exclusively told TheFIX at the time. "Being a part of the audience for me right now and having the experiences of being a part of other franchises, it's a good position to be in. Just to sit there and to experience this movie take over the world."
His forthcoming The Woman King does have a connection to the Ryan Coogler directed venture though. Starring Viola Davis, it centers on the Agoji, an all-female warrior unit based on the African fighters who inspired the Dora Milaje in Black Panther.
In the Men's Health interview, Boyega also addressed his decision to speak out over racist treatment of his character Finn in the Star Wars universe, expressing his belief that his story arc was not given as much care and attention as the white characters in the films. He now says making his feelings known publicly will have pushed those behind the franchise to better support its talent.
"I'm the one that brought this to the freaking forefront," he added. "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."
Boyega's comments come months after representatives of the franchise issued a public statement of support for Moses Ingram, after her debut as Reva in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series was met with racist attacks.
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