There’s a new hero in the galaxy.
The latest TV spot for Star Wars: The Force Awakens is all about Finn (John Boyega).
The blockbuster movie doesn’t debut until Dec. 18, but it’s already been revealed that Finn was a child soldier bred to be a stormtrooper and serve The First Order. Disillusioned, he breaks free and eventually befriends Rey (Daisy Ridley) on Jakku, who had been abandoned on the desert world at age 5. “You don’t know a thing about me, what I’ve seen,” Finn says in the teaser, adding, “We all need to run.”
The TV spot also shows Han Solo (Harrison Ford) preparing Finn for a fight.
“Are you sure you’re up for this?” Han asks.
“Hell no,” Finn responds.
Recently speaking to Entertainment Weekly about his character, Boyega said, “It’s about looking for a greater purpose, rather than thinking, ‘This is the only thing I can do.’ He wants to change. He wants to make a difference. He’s trying to find some kind of moral dignity in this war.” For the English actor, using a lightsaber in a fight against the Dark Side of the Force was a childhood dream come true. “It started in rehearsals. We had Adam Driver [who plays Kylo Ren]. That was the first time ever I had a stick in my hand that I could pretend was a lightsaber, which was the first stage of excitement. I had to do all the sound effects and stuff by myself.”
NEWS: Rey takes center stage in this Star Wars: The Force Awakens TV spot
David James/Lucasfilm
When cameras rolled, he finally got to use a real lightsaber. “It felt monumental in my hand. I knew not to play like I used to when I was a kid, but to actually use it in serious combat for a scene. It’s absolutely crazy to have in your hand,” Boyega said.
“It’s a bit heavy,” he added, “but it’s worth it.”
A lifelong Star Wars fan, Boyega said he is also excited that The Force Awakens features a diverse cast. “We see through the eyes of children that they’re not talking about race the way we grown folks are. They’re not talking about color or how much melanin is in someone’s skin. That should teach us something,” he argued.
As for dealing with bigots, Boyega told Entertainment Weekly that he’d rather not pay them any mind. “We’ve been having a continuous struggle with idiots, and now we should just force them to understand—and I love the way I just used Force there, by the way—just force people to see this is the new world. There are loads of people of different shades and backgrounds,” the actor explained. “Get used to it.”
PHOTOS: Sneak peek at Star Wars: The Force Awakens
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