John Boyega denies Marvel rumors: "That's not in the vision for me now"

John Boyega in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
(Image credit: Lucasfilm)

John Boyega has shut down any rumors that he's secretly joined the MCU – the actor has no interest in starring in a Marvel movie, he revealed in a new interview.

"That’s not in the vision for me now," Boyega told Men's Health. "I want to do nuanced things… I want to donate my services to original indie films that come with new, fresh ideas, because I know it’s real hard to top Iron Man in that universe."

After starring in the Star Wars sequel trilogy and Pacific Rim: Uprising, Boyega has stuck to roles in smaller films. His last movie was 2021's dark comedy thriller Naked Singularity and he has upcoming roles in Breaking, The Woman King, and They Cloned Tyrone. 

All three movies sound very different – in Breaking, Boyega plays a veteran in financial trouble who attempts to stage a bank robbery, while historical epic The Woman King sees him play Ghezo, the 19th Century King of Dahomey (the country now known as the Republic of Benin). In They Cloned Tyrone, he plays multiple clones ranging in age from 28 to 78. 

"For John, it was never about trying to fit into the box. He wants to be the outline of the box," Femi Oguns, the actor's agent, told the publication, explaining that this is why Boyega has avoided playing enslaved people or drug dealers and appearing in "cliched" sports movies. "For John, it’s all about accountability. He doesn’t want to be defined by any stereotypical roles."

Breaking, Boyega's next project, is set to hit the big screen on August 26. In the meantime, check out our picks of the other upcoming movies to get excited about this year and beyond.

Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.