Star Wars Sequel Trilogy actor John Boyega revealed his hopes for Finn to be trained as a Jedi under Samuel L. Jackson's Mace Windu. Finn's Force-sensitivity is one of the most intriguing yet ultimately underdeveloped threads in the last chapter of the Skywalker Saga. From the moment the former stormtrooper picked up a lightsaber in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and held his own against Kylo Ren, the remaining movies dropped subtle hints about his potential ascension to a Jedi, such as Kylo's awareness of him, his instinctive connection to other Force users, and the lingering ramifications of his defection from The First Order's conditioning. During the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the idea is teased more explicitly when Finn begins to confess something crucial to Rey about his connection to the Force, only for the moment to be cut short.
Speaking at an exclusive panel at Rebel Scum Con 2026 (via Star Wars Holocron), John Boyega expressed his hope that a future Star Wars project would finally let Finn embrace his Jedi path, specifically under the mentorship of Samuel L. Jackson's Mace Windu (not Rey Skywalker).
Finn's long-standing Force-sensitivity journey has had its fair share of ups and downs. In an interview in August 2022, Boyega claimed that The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams forced Finn's Jedi twist:
"It was a discussion from VII that was kind of brewing, because you didn’t know which way it was gonna go, right? And then VIII went in another direction. So I think with VIII going in another direction, when you’re bringing someone to the third, they have to kind of like appreciate what’s happened in VIII and then still try and make a narrative of it. And JJ [Abrams], I mean JJ really wanted– 'Force Awakens' is the movie that JJ directed, he was kind of pinpoint plotting a trajectory. But obviously with the different creative differences in the middle and then getting to the third, it’s kind of like he still wanted to, you know, just force it in there, just squeeze it in there."
Boyega assumed from The Force Awakens that Finn would train as a Jedi alongside Rey, but it didn't happen. The Star Wars actor has been critical of how Finn was sidelined after the first film, but has remained open to returning under the right conditions.
In May 2026, a report claimed that Lucasfilm is eyeing the redemption of Finn, turning him from one of Star Wars' wasted heroes into an important one by bringing him back in a future project, but details about his return are still being kept under wraps.
The studio has several movies in development, including one focused on Rey Skywalker and her plan to restart a New Jedi Order. That film would be a natural fit for Finn's return, allowing the franchise to finally capitalize on the Force sensitivity hinted at throughout the sequel trilogy.
Meanwhile, Mace Windu has generally been presumed dead after his fall in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, but many theorize that he is still alive. In a February 2024 interview with Empire, Jackson strongly argued that Mace Windu was alive, and he could still be in hiding, waiting for the right opportunity to reemerge.
At an exclusive panel at C2E2 2025, Boyega previously shared that he doesn't believe Windu is dead and has a theory involving a droid arm, and he even said he'd told Jackson's wife he wants the character back.
Pairing Finn and Mace Windu would lean into an interesting dynamic between two generations of Jedi, though there is a clear issue with the timeline and age if Windu was hidden all this time.
Why Finn Deserves His Own Spotlight Before Reuniting With Rey
John Boyega's Finn deserves to be pushed to the forefront after being sidelined in the sequel trilogy. Turning him into a supporting player in Rey's New Jedi Order story risks repeating the same mistake that left so many fans disappointed.
A dedicated story would finally let Finn claim that destiny on his own terms. Whether through formal training or even an unconventional path involving a surviving (or Force ghost) Mace Windu, it would give the sequel trilogy hero the focused exploration he was denied. Dropping him straight into Rey's more complex orbit as another student or enforcer would once again define him primarily by his relationship to her rather than his own journey.
Star Wars thrives when it expands its universe rather than repeating the same dynamic and character relationships that previously defined stories. Incorporating a popular character like Mace Windu in Finn's story would allow him to receive distinctive Jedi training that stands apart from Rey's path, giving the former stormtrooper a mentor with his own legendary history and moral complexity.
