Just when you thought the Star Wars vs Star Trek debate couldn’t get more heated, a major Star Wars actor has chimed in on which franchise is better.
John Boyega was boosted to fame playing Finn in the Star Wars sequel trilogy starting in 2015. He’s been a bit critical of his character’s arc over the trilogy but still seems to have enjoyed his work as the former stormtrooper turned rebel who becomes a key hero of the saga. And speaking at this year's Dragon Con, Boyega addressed some of his past comments on the two franchises, especially how he always preferred Star Wars over Star Trek. Boyega said (via Popverse):
“I’m an old school Star Wars fan, and if you’re a Trekkie and you’ve met me at the booths, you would find that I would mention that I don’t like Star Trek. I just think that on the Trekkie side they like to talk about it. On the Star Wars side, we just get active. With Star Wars, you’ve got to talk while the war is going on.”
That said, Boyega did think that Trek has the advantage in one regard: “In Star Trek, they give you time to have discussions. I think there’s something Star Wars can learn from that actually.”
For over 40 years, the debate between Star Wars and Star Trek fans has raged on. Trekkies will defend their franchise as superior thanks to so many great shows and movies, more pure sci-fi and inspiring numerous real-life scientists. On the flip side, Star Wars fans love the bigger-than-life adventures and how creator George Lucas' galaxy far, far away is such a key part of culture.
The respective franchises have grown over the years with J.J. Abrams doing his Kelvin Universe reboot beginning with Star Trek (2009) that was clearly inspired by Star Wars. In a twist of fate, Abrams would revive the Star Wars saga with 2015’s The Force Awakens.
Obviously, Trek has the advantage in its TV shows, giving far more time for character development and expanding on stories. While Star Wars has several TV shows now, the big-screen movies are always the main draw. There’s only so much you can do in a two-hour-plus film, and Finn’s own character shifts prove that having more time to explore characters is far better.
It's true the franchises are far different. Star Wars is more about the grand spectacle and as much fantasy as space drama with much of the dialouge about the Force and such. Trek is science-based and can delve into politics as much as techno-babble, making it necessary for more talking.
Even if the storytelling in, say, Strange New Worlds, is rough, Trek offers far more opportunities for letting a story breathe rather than rush to the next big special effects moment. It’s a reason the franchise has attracted so many top-notch actors over its long run.
However, for any Trek fans hoping that Boyega might join Star Trek, the actor made it clear he won’t join what he considers to be the Dark Side of the fandom war. “In terms of me appearing in [Star Trek], I’ve got to stay on team. I’m a lightsaber guy,” Boyega said in the same interview.
While Trek fans can write off a Boyega appearance in that franchise, hopefully some Star Wars writers take inspiration from his words to help improve the storytelling in upcoming projects.
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