Lucasfilm Calls 'Star Wars' Actor John Boyega 'Our Hero' After He Makes Powerful Black Lives Matter Speech

Star Wars actor John Boyega has received an outpour of love and support this week from celebrities and fans alike, and now Lucasfilm has issued a statement to make their stance known.

Boyega, who is best known for playing Finn in a galaxy far, far away, made headlines after delivering an incredibly emotional and powerful speech at a Black Lives Matter protest in his hometown of London, England. The 28-year-old actor spoke on the tragic murder of George Floyd, highlighting the importance to fight for freedom and human rights, and even added that the cause comes before his job. "I’m speaking to you from my heart," he stated. "Look, I don’t know if I’m going to have a career after this, but f**k that." The video, which you can watch below, instantly went viral.

Star Wars legend Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker throughout all nine films of the Skywalker Saga, was one of the many actors to share support for Boyega. Taking to Twitter, the 68-year-old star quote-tweeted images of his co-star at the protest, writing, "Never been more proud of you, John." He also added a heart emoji and signed off as "dad." Soon behind him came Lucasfilm's message, which reads:

"Lucasfilm stands with John Boyega and his message that, 'Now is the time. Black lives have always mattered. Black lives have always been important. Black lives have always meant something.' The evil that is racism must stop. We will commit to being part of the change that is long overdue in the world. John Boyega, you are our hero."

The tweet also included a link to Boyega's full speech.

On top of the support of the Star Wars universe, multiple prominent directors have been making it clear on social media that they would love to collaborate with Boyega. Academy Award winner Matthew A. Cherry began a trend on Twitter, writing, "I would work with John Boyega and I urge other Non-Black creators to affirm that they have his back as well." From that, filmmakers such as Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House), Steven DeKnight (Pacific Rim: Uprising), and Olivia Wilde (Booksmart) all proudly declared they would work with the actor, either again or for the first time.

Fortunately, Boyega's got many people rooting for him, and we couldn't be more proud of his much-needed speech.