Though Lucasfilm has been trying to add more diversity to the Star Wars franchise, sequel trilogy star John Boyega can still feel like he's being treated differently as a person of color.
Speaking in an interview with Variety about his film, Detroit, a period crime drama centered on racially-charged killings in Detroit back in 1967, Boyega moves on to talk about the negative experiences he's had while promoting his Star Wars movies.
"I was the only person to always talk about the color of my skin. In every interview my skin color comes up. If Daisy [Ridley] does an interview, her skin color is not going to come up. … It doesn't matter what position you're in — once you're black, you're black, and these idiots always have something to say about it."
That's not all. There were some pretty racist reactions when fans saw Finn popping out without his helmet on the screen in the first trailer for The Force Awakens and Boyega remembers the negativity that hung about when the preview came out.
"When I was exposed to the world in ‘Star Wars,' I also was exposed to the reality of ignorance that still exists around the world. When I was in ‘Star Wars' there was a semi, kind of racial discussion that was quite negative when it first came out."
Though society is trying to be more socially conscious and progressive, it's hard not to come across hurtful racist and sexist remarks in the comment section online. Sometimes Star Wars comment sections can be filled with a lot of toxicity with some fans complaining about how Lucasfilm is constantly making female characters take the lead and others complaining about the inclusion of people of color. Let's hope this changes in time.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi premieres on December 15, 2017.
Read: "Massive Amounts" Of Luke's Backstory Has Been Left Out Of The Last Jedi
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