John Boyega Says He's Developing A Superhero Movie For Himself

Even if you're dead center in one of the biggest fantasy franchises in all the world, everybody still wants to be a superhero.

Star Wars actor John Boyega recently stopped for a short talk with Collider, where he shared some information about future plans for his production company, UpperRoom Productions. 

The actor founded the production company in January 2016, shortly after the success of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He established it with fellow actor and agent Femi Oguns, who helped shepherd Boyega's career to the heights he's now achieved. 

Their first project under the UpperRoom label has been co-producing the Pacific Rim sequel, which Boyega is also starring in. But after that production wraps, Boyega and Oguns have plans to soar from mech suits into the superhero genre—and according to Boyega, the heroes they want to highlight won't be ones you recognize.

"Script writing is my thing. I like creating my own worlds and characters, and layering them on top. Especially with the superhero genre," Boyega said during the interview. "Personally, we feel there's another way to do it. So we're working on stuff like that."

It's a tantalizing quote from an actor who likely has his pick of projects going forward, even if it's aggravatingly unspecific. Pressed for details on what he meant by that enigmatic "another way", Boyega would only answer the question of whether or not he intends to play one of those superheroes he's apparently working on himself.

"Well, yeah," Boyega said. "But it won't be the ones that you're used to, I'll tell you that! It won't be the ones that you're used to. Yeah. We're leaving the spandex behind, and doing a new version."

There are almost no details about what exactly Boyega and Oguns intend to do, but at least we know what genre they're looking at, and that he's wanting to build something from the ground up rather than just remake Blade. The idea of developing original superhero properties in the age of adaptations is an interesting one, which previously worked to some success in Josh Trank's 2012 relatively grounded, found-footage-style movie Chronicle. As to whether or not a project of that sort is what Boyega's hinting at, we'll have to wait and see.

Boyega will next be seen this December, reprising his role as Finn in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Pacific Rim: Uprising opens on March 23, 2018.