One of the greatest things that came from Star Wars: The Force Awakens was the romantic tension between new characters. While Finn (John Boyega) and Rey (Daisy Ridley) shared a few furtive glances across the Millennium Falcon, it was the moments snatched by Finn and Poe (Oscar Isaac) that really caught the imagination of audiences around the world, however.
Poe and Finn helped each other escape the clutches of the First Order at the beginning of the movie, and their reunion, after crashing and being separated, was one of the high points of the film. Seeing these two characters onscreen again in Star Wars: The Last Jedi is one of the most highly anticipated aspects of the film.
The relationship, as it developed, was also an ‘unspoken thing’ and, as such, did not seem to be particularly scripted – but rather was borne of chemistry that developed onscreen between the two actors in question. Thankfully, the cast themselves have embraced this aspect of the Star Wars saga, and John Boyega addressed the topic in conversation with Metro recently, saying:
“I think Oscar is always looking at me with love in his eyes, and I guess that the fans saw it. And they realized he either needs to chill out or come out.”
Boyega then went on to highlight the fact that hiring in movies – both onscreen and behind the camera – needs to be a more inclusive endeavour to create a wider range of stories.
“There definitely is that responsibility, but more the responsibility to hire those from those experiences to share their creative light, that’s the pivotal thing. Because if you just hire the same sort of people, you’re just getting the same sort of film. It’s not wrong, but then there’s a lack of variety.”
Making “the same sort of film” is an accusation that has been levelled at the Star Wars franchise repeatedly in past – as well as the output of Hollywood in general. Specifically, a significant proportion of cinema-goers noted that Star Wars: The Force Awakens bears more than a passing resemblance – in terms of narrative beats – to A New Hope. The characters of Finn and Poe were the biggest difference, though – not only bringing new elements to the story individually, but also creating an enduring bond between Resistance fighters together.
Whether Finn and Poe are afforded the opportunity to explore their relationship or not will be seen when Star Wars: The Last Jedi arrives in theatres on December 15th.
