Star Wars: The Superhero Stars John Boyega Had To Beat To Play Finn

Alongside Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), Finn (John Boyega) sits at the center of the "Star Wars" sequel trilogy. Introduced as a disillusioned First Order stormtrooper, he grows beyond his FN-2187 designation as the string of three films goes on. By the time of "Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker," he's a full-on Resistance figurehead and a key player in the fall of the First Order. Throughout all three films, Boyega does an excellent job with the written material he's presented, though he could've missed out on all of it had the role gone to one of the other actors in contention for it.

As it turns out, a couple of Marvel Cinematic Universe favorites were up for the role of Finn before John Boyega was selected for it. First and foremost is Michael B. Jordan, who famously brings to life Erik Killmonger in the "Black Panther" films and Johnny "Human Torch" Storm in 2015's non-MCU canon "Fantastic Four." He revealed as much during a chat on the "Just for Variety" podcast, recalling that his audition for the part was his worst to date. Spider-Man himself, Tom Holland, also tried to land the role of Finn, but as he tried to act out a scene opposite someone pretending to be a droid, he couldn't keep it together and messed the whole thing up (via Backstage).

Since losing out on the Finn role, Jordan and Holland have yet to join the "Star Wars" universe. Inversely, Boyega also has yet to join the MCU, but does he have any interest?

In the modern era, if you're an actor with any amount of fame or notoriety, odds are you'll be fan cast in an MCU role at some point. If you're particularly noteworthy, the rumor mill might even pick up steam and claim that you've already joined the blockbuster superhero franchise yet haven't appeared on-screen. That's exactly what happened to John Boyega, who was said to have joined the MCU in some capacity. Not only did the rumor prove untrue, but Boyega himself promptly shot down the idea of him joining the MCU in the near future.

"That's not in the vision for me now. I want to do nuanced things. I want to donate my services to original indie films that come with new, fresh ideas," Boyega said in an interview with Men's Health when asked about the potential of him popping up in the MCU. While this isn't a total rejection of him joining the likes of Michael B. Jordan and Tom Holland at the movies under the Marvel banner, he does make it abundantly clear that such productions are not at all what he's currently interested in as an artist.

Time will tell if John Boyega will join the MCU or if Michael B. Jordan and Tom Holland will appear in a "Star Wars" production. Perhaps someday, the Finn actor and the two stars he beat out for the role will coexist under one or both of these franchise umbrellas.