Not one to back out of a fight, John Boyega has responded to his social media critics with an Instagram video where the actor takes out the offending posts in a variety of ways.
The Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker star came in for fire this week for a perceived insult to Daisy Ridley and her character Rey, the result of a vulgar joke. Boyega has also regularly commented on the problems of Star Wars shipper tensions, particularly around Rey and Kylo Ren, or “Reylos.” The actor’s video though, available below, sums up what he thinks of online trolls, with the clip cutting together footage of him kicking and slapping away screenshots of the offending posts.
Taken from chat shows and elsewhere, the video also includes Boyega cutting down comments with a lightsaber and running over a screenshot with a scooter. Ending with the British actor remarking that he’s “got that out of my system – what’s next?”, it probably says more than any lengthy social media rant could achieve.
Of course, Boyega’s known for his directness, from admitting that Star Wars: The Last Jedi wasn’t as strong as it could have been, to taking part in a fake feud with fellow franchise star Mark Hamill. Furthermore, he’s also hinted at what he thinks of the Disney Star Wars series as well as the many romantic pairings available to his character Finn. However, it’s worth noting that Boyega’s dismissive attitude of social media criticism has sometimes put him in the difficult position of downplaying the very real hurt it can cause, particularly in the case of attacks on Star Wars co-stars like Kelly Marie Tran.
Boyega will likely next be seen in Ridley Scott-produced movie Naked Singularity, as well as a miniseries from Steve McQueen. And as with many actors on the Disney payroll, he’s also reportedly being targeted for a major role in a future MCU installment. For now, though, you can still catch him in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, as well as likely riling up more online haters through his social media accounts.