Who Plays Lando In His Show: Will Donald Glover Or Billy Dee Williams Return?

A Lando Calrissian Star Wars show is coming to Disney+, but it’s unclear if Donald Glover or Billy Dee Williams will be reprising the role in Lando. The show, which is being categorized an “event series,” was officially announced as part of Disney’s Investor Day along with several other Star Wars shows. Titled Lando, the forthcoming program is being created by Justin Simien, who notably developed Dear White People.

Lando was first introduced in 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back as an old friend of Han Solo’s. The former owner of the Millennium Falcon served as the administrator of Cloud City on the planet Bespin when he betrayed Han to benefit Darth Vader. In Return of the Jedi, Lando had a change of heart, joining the others to rescue Han before becoming a general in the Rebel Alliance. Williams portrayed the character in the original Star Wars trilogy, and he reprised the role for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. When the character’s backstory came into focus in Solo: A Star Wars Story, Glover took over the role to play a younger version of the suave con artist.

While Lando is still in the early stages of development, there’s already a debate about who should portray the titular character. Williams has always been linked to the Star Wars figure, being linked to the role for nearly four decades. He’s also in the minds of fans after reprising his role for Rise of Skywalker in 2019. That said, Glover’s portrayal of Lando was one of the bright spots of Solo, which received mixed reactions from viewers and critics. Many believed that Glover never got an opportunity to fully shine with the role, but that can be fixed with his return as the lead in Lando.

Why Donald Glover Makes Sense For The Disney+ Lando Series

Based on Disney+’s model when it comes to Star Wars shows, Lando will most likely be set in a time period that the trilogies haven’t covered. In this case, it would presumably take place following the events of Solo, but before the character’s introduction in The Empire Strikes Back. Considering Lando’s age, the best bet points at Glover reprising the role as a younger gambler still forming his rebellious mindset. The casting would confirm previous rumors regarding Glover’s return for a Lando series. The actor, of course, is still busy developing new seasons of Atlanta, but his other current projects are currently under wraps.

Even if Glover serves as the lead of Lando, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Williams couldn’t also be involved in some capacity. While he might be the core figure in the role, the Disney+ could incorporate both Lando actors by detailing different periods of the character’s life. Maybe Williams could provide a voiceover, detailing thrilling adventures from his past. Another option would be to have the older version of Lando sharing stories in his early years as a plot device for the show to use Glover-driven flashbacks. Time will tell what Disney has in store for Lando, and fans will surely be patiently waiting for cast announcements.

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Kara Hedash
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Kara Hedash is a features editor and writer for Screen Rant. From time to time, she dives into the world’s most popular franchises but Kara primarily focuses on evergreen topics. The fact that she gets to write about The Office regularly is like a dream come true. Before joining Screen Rant, Kara served as a contributor for Movie Pilot and had work published on The Mary Sue and Reel Honey. After graduating college, writing began as a part-time hobby for Kara but it quickly turned into a career. She loves binging a new series and watching movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to hidden indie gems. She also has a soft spot for horror ever since she started watching it at too young of an age. Her favorite Avenger is Thor and her favorite Disney princess is Leia Organa. When Kara’s not busy writing, you can find her doing yoga or hanging out with Gritty.

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