AceShowbiz - John Boyega, known for his role as Finn in the "Star Wars" sequel trilogy, criticized the franchise over its handling of diversity. He vented his frustrations during an interview featured in the new Apple TV+ original documentary, "Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood."

Reflecting on his groundbreaking position as the first Black lead character in the galaxy far, far away, Boyega didn't mince his words as he hit out at the series' predominantly white casting.

"Lemme tell ya, 'Star Wars' always had the vibe of being in the most whitest, elite space. It's a franchise that's so white that a Black person existing in [it] was something," he lamented.

Boyega's journey in the galaxy far, far away, which began with "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and continued through "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" and "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," was marked by significant online harassment from racist and toxic fans.

He noted the dismissive attitude of some fans, "You can always tell it's something when some 'Star Wars' fans try to say, 'Well, we had Lando Calrissian and had Samuel L. Jackson!' It's like telling me how many cookie chips are in the cookie dough. It's like, they just scattered that in there, bro!"

Boyega also highlighted the industry's readiness to accept minorities in supporting roles but not as leading heroes. "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,' " he remarked.

In 2020, Boyega aired similar grievances to GQ magazine, expressing his frustration with Disney's handling of his character. "What I would say to Disney is do not bring out a Black character, market them to be much more important in the franchise than they are and then have them pushed to the side. It's not good. I'll say it straight up," he said.

Boyega criticized the disproportionate attention given to his co-stars, Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver, compared to himself and Kelly Marie Tran.

After his candid interview with GQ, Boyega revealed that a Disney executive reached out to him for a transparent conversation.

He hoped that his openness would pave the way for future Black professionals in the industry. "I hope that the conversation is not such a taboo or elephant in the room now, because someone just came and said it," he noted.

"Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood" is now available to stream on Apple TV+, offering more insight into Boyega's experiences and the broader challenges faced by Black actors in Hollywood.