'Star Wars' Star Shoots Down Marvel Studios Rumors
The actor was asked if he would fill in for a recently vacated Marvel role.
A recent court ruling found that actor Jonathan Majors had committed harassment and assault in the third degree, leading to an immediate termination from Marvel Studios. As a consequence, he lost the role of Kang the Conqueror, a supervillain he had already played in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, released in 2023.
There have already been inquiries regarding Kang's replacement with other high-profile actors. John Boyega, a star of Star Wars and They Cloned Tyrone, has been approached by fans asking him if he would be interested in playing Kang. In a tweet, Boyega posted a gif of Donkey from the Shrek movie, shaking his head in disbelief, confirming his disinterest in the project.
— John Boyega (@JohnBoyega) November 20, 2023
Boyega's refusal to participate in major Hollywood franchises is not unexpected, given that he has repeatedly and openly denied them before. Boyega has rejected franchise jobs on numerous occasions.
Once, Variety asked him if he would be interested in reprising his "Star Wars" role of Finn on television. He replied, "You ain't gonna Disney+ me." As well as being relieved to no longer have to act in "Star Wars," Boyega says he is happy to return to being a fan of the series without worrying about being the face of the franchise, despite appearing to not want to close any doors, saying he may return to the franchise under certain circumstances.
"That was a few years ago, so they were the subject of that particular project," Boyega told TechRadar about his previous comments. "But I'm open to all characters and scripts that are enjoyable, have a great cast attached and a terrific director. So yeah, I'm open to all opportunities."
Boyega has also said he was now "comfortable" with his time in the franchise, telling The Times of London: "For me, Star Wars has made the man, in a sense. … The experiences, the fun times, good times, ugly times, bad times — it makes you who you are as you navigate through the industry, and that has definitely been interesting."
It is also worth noting that Boyega has previously rejected working in a Marvel Cinematic Universe film. In 2022, he discussed rumors with Men's Health that he might appear in the then-impending film The Marvels. His response to the proposal was decidedly negative: "That's not in the vision for me now. [...] 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."