Star Wars actor John Boyega shares that The Rise of Skywalker cut a more overt confirmation regarding Finn’s Force sensitivity. During an appearance at this year’s Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (via /Film), Boyega discussed filming the scene early in Rise of Skywalker where Finn, Rey, and Poe sink into quicksand during their mission on Pasaana. He stated he shot multiple takes where Finn directly told Rey that he had Force powers. However, for reasons that Boyega did not elaborate on, director J.J. Abrams opted to go in a different director for the final film.
“I mean, I did try to tell Rey before I went down,” Boyega said. “There was a couple takes where I just said it, ‘[shouts] I’m a Jedi.’ There was a couple, but it was good to tease it. I wanted to say it when they’re going down into the quicksand.”
In the scene in question, the Resistance heroes fear they are about to meet their deaths as they sink into quicksand. Amidst the panic, Finn says to Rey that there’s something he’s never told her. Before he gets a chance to reveal what it is, the group falls to safety in an underground tunnel. When Rey asks Finn what he wanted to tell her, he brushes it off and everyone moves on.
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Since The Rise of Skywalker came out, this moment has been subject to debate (some fans thought Finn intended to confess romantic feelings for Rey). Years ago, Abrams himself confirmed the Force sensitivity theory. Over the course of Rise of Skywalker, there are multiple moments that heavily imply Finn is strong with the Force (such as when he senses Rey’s death on Exegol), but the movie never outright confirms it.
It’s a shame The Rise of Skywalker never goes further than the aforementioned teases concerning this plot point. Rey and Finn’s friendship is a key part of the sequel trilogy’s emotional core, and if Rey had learned one of her best friends was Force sensitive, it would have added a fascinating wrinkle to their dynamic. Had one of those alternate takes Boyega mentioned stayed in, perhaps Finn could have leaned on Rey (who still had much to learn herself) for guidance as he tries to make sense of his newfound abilities. That added stress on Rey might have contributed to some drama between the two companions as they attempted to deal with their own issues. It also would have given Rey a peer to confide in about the Force. It’s hard for those who aren’t Force sensitive to comprehend what she’s going through, but Finn might understand.
As it stands, Finn’s Force sensitivity comes across as an underdeveloped story beat in The Rise of Skywalker, and hopefully Lucasfilm decides to revisit it at some point to flesh it out. The studio is developing a New Jedi Order movie with Daisy Ridley returning, but it’s unknown if her sequel trilogy co-stars will be along for the ride. If Boyega doesn’t come back for another film, then perhaps there could be a novel or comic book series that follows Finn after The Rise of Skywalker, exploring his powers and training with Rey. It would be a smart move on Lucasfilm’s part to take advantage of the cross-medium canon to add depth to one of the sequel trilogy’s stand-out characters.
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