The Future is Finn 

Before I went to go see Star Wars the Force Awakens (episode 7) in theaters; I re-watched episodes 1 through 6 in sequential order. Keep in mind episodes 4 through 6 was released before episodes 1 through 3. Being sensitive to diversity in media, when viewing episode 3 (A New Hope), I noticed a Black man prominently walking in the back ground on Luke Skywalker’s home planet of Tatoonie. This may not seem like a big deal and maybe it isn’t but this film debuted in 1977 and George Lucas (creator and director) had the consideration to make sure a man of color was in the back ground shot…in a science fiction adventure film.

There are science fiction films present day that will barely have splash of a person of color in the back ground. Then when they do have an extra of color on the set, their skin tone is barely darker than beige. Like where were the non-white men in Mad Max: Fury Road? Do Black men not exist in a futuristic post-apocalyptic world? It seemed like there were hundreds of white men in Mad Max but not one Black man.

I was around 1 year old when Star Wars first hit theaters and around 4 years of age when The Empire Strikes Back: Episode 5 (released in 1980) came out. I didn’t actually see the trilogy of films until the mid 80’s on cable. Even though I remember Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian in The Empire Strikes Back, he was a supporting and somewhat untrustworthy character that came on the screen after half way through the film. This was still a feat for a hit Hollywood science fiction film and Billy Dee was the face of Black Hollywood at that time. In 1979, a year before Billy Dee in The Empire Strikes Back, there was Yaphet Kotto staring as Parker, a supporting role in the classic science fiction film Alien. Being realistic, Alien was a science fiction suspense horror film and black people were the “red shirts” extras that accompanied Captain Kirk when he ventured off ship. It was status quo that Black people didn’t survive in horror films. Other examples of this would be Childs (played by Keith David) and Nauls (played by T.K. Carter) in the 1982 science fiction horror classic The Thing.

While acknowledging some of the African American male actors in science fiction adventure films such as Will Smith (Independence Day), Wesley Snipes (Blade, Demolition Man), Michael Jai White (Spawn), Laurence Fishburne (Matrix Trilogy), Don Cheadle (Iron Man), Anthony Mackie (Caption America), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) and Michael P. Jordon (Chronicle, Fantastic Four); for me something was missing from these characters.

Even though Blade 1 and 2 were pretty good movies, I don’t feel it was due to Wesley Snipes’ acting. No doubt Laurence Fishburne as the wise and powerful Morpheus in the Matrix, was a masterful and well-acted character in the trilogy; nonetheless he was not the star of the film. While I think Will Smith is a great actor; his character leads in I-Robot, Hancock, Men in Black, and After Earth in my opinion were not his best performances. I just don’t feel black men have been able to wear the spot light in science fiction films whether it be due to Hollywood (studios execs, directors, script writers, etc.), their on screen time (regulated to supporting roles) or simply not commanding the roles given.

Circling back to Star Wars; Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) was a key figure in episodes 2 and 3 as a Master Jedi and apart of the Jedi Council but I think the star, Sam L. Jackson overshadowed his on screen character. However; one of the most iconic villains in film history (Darth Vader) is voiced by African American actor James Earl Jones. The treacherous Clones (who help destroy almost all the Jedi) are clones of Jango Fett played by Temuera Morrison (who is of Pacific Islander decent). The diversity within the Star Wars universe also extends to its novels, comics and animated media; which brings me to the current Star Wars film, The Force Awakens.

Not to sound melodramatic but I feel like new ground has been broken with the significance of Finn. Finn is a former Storm Trooper who plays an integral role in The Force Awakens; not only that, he is one of the two main heroes of the film. Finn is not in a supporting role…he is in a lead role which means he garners much screen time in the film. Finn is played by John Boyega who is an African European man born of Nigerian parents. Boyega doesn’t just play within the role, he personifies the character. His excellent acting performance is not only believable but is also easily the best of the cast. Don’t get me wrong, the leading lady Ray (Daisy Ridley) is great along with new villain Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) but with Finn…you just have a feeling that there is a lot more at stake. His heroics seem more amazing and brave because he is so convincing in his character’s “I’m just a regular ordinary guy in an extraordinary situation”. Boyega is now the new star and a handsome face of a new trilogy that is expanding upon the biggest film franchise in history.

Black Americans sometimes forget that racism against people of color (brown/dark skin peoples) is not only prevalent in the US but also in Canada, Latin America, Europe, Russia, China, Japan and Australia. Media plays a huge role in this racism, bigotry and discrimination. This new Star Wars film even faced racist backlash after its initial trailer was released and many proclaimed “politically correct diversity” was being forced upon the audience and altering the purity of the film franchise.

Due to the international magnitude of this film and the franchise, the character of Finn is monumental. He is a fresh new on screen leading hero who is brave, intelligent, compassionate, and selfless in his quest to save those he cares about all the while being front and center for the international audiences to see. I can only imagine the positive impact his character will have on little Black boys and girls around world. I must also mention The Force Awakens is a virtual melting pot of ethnicity, which is spectacular!

I am beyond annoyed and irritated with Hollywood having people of color subjugated while whitewashing historical stories, in addition to regurgitating white savior film tropes like Dances with Wolves, The Last Samurai, The Blind Side and Avatar. Hollywood continues to use the same silly excuses that anything besides “white” will not sells big budget blockbuster movies. I doubt the supremacy within this logic will change in Hollywood anytime soon; nonetheless courageous directors like J.J. Abrams are obviously attempting to move things forward.

For so long have I looked at science fiction television shows and movies and thought “Do these writers and directors envision a future where people of color don’t exist?” Is this their subconscious vision of a futuristic pure utopia?”

Is The Force Awakens a turning point? I hope the power of John Boyega as Finn in The Force Awakens, John Colter as Luke Cage (streaming on Netflix in 2016) and Chadwick Boseman starring as the Black Panther (in theaters 2018) will begin to chip away at the bigotry and prejudices of Hollywood.