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How Tom Cruise got John Boyega cast in Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Mission Impossible’s Tom Cruise is responsible for John Boyega being cast as Finn in Star Wars

Tom Cruise is so powerful; he has even changed the direction of the Star Wars saga.

According to Star Wars star John Boyega, who played Finn beginning in 2015's The Force Awakens, it was Tom Cruise - who he's never worked with - who put a good word in with Lucasfilm for him to get the job.

“I’m thankful to Tom Cruise, who loved Attack the Block,” Boyega says, referring to his 2011 film, during his Popverse-hosted spotlight panel this past weekend on the Emerald City Comic Con 2025 Main Stage powered by Xfinity. “He was editing Mission Impossible at the time with J.J. Abrams. Tom told J.J., ‘You’ve got to watch this kid in Attack the Block.’ J.J. watched it, and one thing led to another, and four or five years later, I was in the movie.”

Boyega said that in some ways he owes his career to Cruise. When asked if he would appear in a Mission Impossible film alongside Cruise, Boyega was hesitant due to the stunt work required. 

“I ain’t doing all of that, Tom. But I would easily be the man in the chair.”

John Boyega and Tom Cruise appearing in an action film together would be a fun way to bring this story full circle. Maybe someday…

You can watch The Force of Talent: Spotlight on John Boyega from ECCC 2025's Main Stage powered by Xfinity for yourself as part of Popverse's all-encompassing coverage of Emerald City Comic Con 2025. Be there from anywhere.


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Joshua Lapin-Bertone

Joshua Lapin-Bertone: Joshua is a pop culture writer specializing in comic book media. His work has appeared on the official DC Comics website, the DC Universe subscription service, HBO Max promotional videos, the Batman Universe fansite, and more. In between traveling around the country to cover various comic conventions, Joshua resides in Florida where he binges superhero television and reads obscure comics from yesteryear.

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