Finn has become a reluctant hero since being roped into a rebellious crusade alongside Rey, Poe Dameron and the Resistance in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
[Warning: The following contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Last Jedi.]
In Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the once-stormtrooper will examine what type of person he wants to be. When he met Rey in The Force Awakens, he was trying to get to the Outer Rim and escape the First Order. John Boyega told Entertainment Weekly that in The Last Jedi, Finn’s still chasing that dream, but is also dealing with the realization that he’s become a hero.
“Everyone in the space, throughout the galaxy, would have heard about the young Jedi who discovered her powers and defeated Kylo Ren and the young former stormtrooper who helped save the day,” Boyega said. “He’s a hero to people like Rose [Tico, a new character in The Last Jedi] who fight for the Resistance because their homes have been destroyed by the First Order.”
Boyega added that Finn’s newfound friendship-of-sorts with Rose, a mechanic and lesser-known member of the Resistance who will be played by Kelly Marie Tran, is arresting. Finn wants to live up to the reputation he has as a hero and be the person Rose — and others — see him as. That means trying to contend with conflicting emotions, torn between wanting to run, and stand his ground with the Resistance.
When Finn first meets Rose, her admiration is a tricky thing to accept. Finn isn’t the person that Rose believes him to be and that is hard. As Finn tries to make a decision about the person he wants to be, Rose will play a big factor in guiding him in the right direction, according to Boyega.
This isn’t the only challenge Finn will face in The Last Jedi, though. In a photo published by Entertainment Weekly, Finn can be seen in the cockpit, sitting in the pilot’s seat. Finn was never an official pilot in The Force Awakens — even though he dealt with stressful situations on a number of starships — but the new Resistance leader will pick up some new flying skills in The Last Jedi.
It’s unclear if Finn is flying for the Resistance or just needed an aircraft to get away from it all, but the hero has found a new and valuable skill.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi will be released on Dec. 15, 2017.