You’re saying yourself that Finn being black didn’t affect the plot in any way. Are you now suggesting that every time an actors ethnicity doesn’t influence the story, it should be the standard to chooose the white one? Does there always need to be a special reason to have a non-white (or non-male, non-hetero etc.) character? The people outside don’t have a specific reason to be asian or hispanic or whatever, they just are the way they are and for Star Wars, this is now unthinkable?
Also, Star Wars has a tradition of being inclusive since 1980, do you complain about Lando, too?
I'm saying that principal characters in an upgraded Golden Age adventure serial should be white, Black Panther should be black. An actor's ethnicity ALWAYS influences the overall character of the production. It's the most obvious aspect in the visual medium.
I've always admired GL's subtle but powerful inclusion of other races in his Flash Gordon series. 3PO and R2 as loyal companions facing discrimination in cantinas and treatment as third-class, Chewie as fierce and constant co-pilot, Yoda as wise oriental....
In fact, I did think that ESB Lando was pushing up to the limits, but adventure heroes have always sailed off to exotic "lands" and encountered tribal chiefs and bosses. It was ROTJ Lando that went over the top as an allied general in what was, in part, a WWII propaganda feature. He could have served as a Tuskeegee squadron commander. Ackbar was better as an allied naval commander.