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John Boyega is speaking out about his experience with fans of the Star Wars franchise.
The British star, 33, is one of several actors who appear in the “Black Leading Men in Hollywood” episode of the new AppleTV+ two-part documentary Number One on the Call Sheet.
While reflecting on his breakthrough role as Finn in Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens (2015) and its two sequels, and the racist backlash he received after being cast in the franchise, Boyega said the space-western saga “always had the vibe of being in the most Whitest, elite space.”
“It’s a franchise that’s so White that it’s like, a Black person existing in [it] was something,” he said.
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Boyega, who has previously expressed frustrations about his character, said in the documentary, “You can always tell it’s something when some Star Wars fans try to say, ‘Well, we had Lando Calrissian [played on the big screen by Billy Dee Williams and Donald Glover] and had Samuel L. Jackson [who played Mace Windu]!’ ”
“It’s like telling me how many [chocolate] chips are in the cookie dough. It’s like, they just scattered that in there, bro!” the actor continued.
As far as Boyega is concerned when it comes to these types of fans, “They’re okay with us playing the best friend, but once we touch their heroes, once we lead, once we trailblaze, it’s like, ‘Oh my God, it’s just a bit too much! They’re pandering!’ ”
Representatives for Disney did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Monday, March 31.
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Boyega said in 2020 that he had “moved on” from his role as stormtrooper-turned-hero Finn, which he played in The Force Awakens as well as Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi (2017) and Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
But in a resurfaced clip from a 2020 interview with Jakes’s Takes, Boyega indicated he would be open to returning for more films under certain behind-the-scenes conditions.
“I’m open to the conversation as long as it is [Kathleen Kennedy], J.J. [Abrams] and maybe someone else [on their] team. [Then] it’s a no-brainer,” he said.
Number One on the Call Sheet is now streaming on AppleTV+.
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