John Boyega Says ‘Star Wars: Episode 8’ Will Be ‘Much Darker’

There was plenty of the dark side in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, though overall, J.J. Abrams’ first film in the new trilogy skewed a bit more toward the light side of things, tonally-speaking. It was a solid, entertaining re-introduction to the world of Star Wars, giving us a bit of the familiar and plenty of new elements, setting the table for Episode 8 to really expand on the newer characters and their journeys. And while it’s still a bit early to speculate about Rian Johnson’s plans for the follow-up, John Boyega has offered a couple of clues.

Speaking with Vogue, the breakout star of Attack the Block and The Force Awakens says that while he can’t say much about the sequel, it will be a bit darker:

[We’re] just starting work on ‘Star Wars VIII,’ the next film, so I’m back to keeping secrets again. It’s great. Much darker, but we’re very excited.

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy recently confirmed that Boyega and co-star Oscar Isaac are filming Episode 8 in Mexico, with Benicio Del Toro reportedly playing the villain. No other cast members have been confirmed, though Kennedy previously said we should expect to see Gwendoline Christie’s Captain Phasma return — which is great news, given her limited part in The Force Awakens.

Last we saw Boyega’s Finn, he was recovering from a traumatic injury dealt by Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren during the climactic battle. Asked about the physical demands of The Force Awakens, Boyega reveals that we’ll be seeing Finn fight a lot more in the sequel:

No, for [Force Awakens] we really just took it scene by scene, there wasn’t a huge regime. My part in the next film will be much more physical so I might be in the gym a bit more.

And if Del Toro is playing the sequel’s new villain, our bigger question is: where does that leave Kylo Ren? Is he cowering in the shadow of Snoke and plotting his next move? Teaming up with Del Toro’s character? Considering a return to the light? Hmm.

Star Wars: Episode 8 hits theaters on May 26, 2017.

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