( CNN ) -- Actor John Boyega has four words for anyone who 's upset he 's playing what appears to be a black Stormtrooper in the latest `` Star Wars '' film : `` Get used to it . '' The 22-year-old British actor posted the message on Instagram yesterday after his appearance in the new trailer for `` Star Wars : The Force Awakens '' aroused feverish discussion on social media . On YouTube , some questioned whether a black Stormtrooper made sense , while others reacted with racist remarks . READ MORE : Who is John Boyega ? Supporters responded on Twitter with the hashtag # BlackStormtrooper . `` They 'll accept an alien-filled galaxy powered by 'force ' but they 're not having a black man in uniform ? '' tweeted writer Iain Macintosh . `` Love how there 's `` controversy '' over a # BlackStormtrooper . Even in a galaxy far far away black people exist and can be dynamic characters too , '' tweeted Joseph Oteng . `` # BlackStormTrooper better not die first , or I am going to be pissed , '' quipped USC professor Robert Hernandez . Race in the 'Star Wars ' universe . Despite the diversity of human and nonhuman characters mingling together in the fictional Star Wars universe , there have been just a handful of prominent black characters . Samuel L. Jackson played Jedi Master Mace Windu in three films , while Billy Dee Williams played Cloud City administrator turned Rebel General Lando Calrissian in two films . James Earl Jones also provided the legendary voice for Darth Vader , but the actor under the mask was white . In the `` Star Wars '' series Stormtroopers were originally clones of Jango Fett , an ethnic `` Mandalorian '' played by New Zealand-born actor Temuera Derek Morrison , of partial Maori descent . Later in the storyline , when Boyega 's `` black Stormtrooper '' character would 've lived , Stormtroopers were recruited from general populations -- making a Stormtrooper of any race certainly feasible . As fans continue to dissect the trailer , many have also pointed out Boyega may not even be a Stormtrooper -- he could be a rebel in a Stormtrooper uniform , like Han Solo and Luke Skywalker in `` Star Wars Episode IV : A New Hope . '' Fans will have to wait a bit longer to find out more about Boyega 's character . READ MORE : The Force is with the new 'Star Wars ' trailer . The movie , the seventh in the Star Wars film series , is scheduled for release on December 18 , 2015 . Boyega 's message also contained a note of gratitude to his fans . `` Is n't it crazy that Star Wars is actually happening ? I 'm in the movie but as a Star Wars fan I am very excited . `` A year is long time to wait but it will be worth the wait . ''
Actor John Boyega responded to criticism over his ` ` Star War '' role . Supporters respond on Twitter with # BlackStormTrooper . There have only been a few black actors in Star Wars film history .