Donald Glover Is Reportedly Coming Back To Star Wars As Lando Calrissian

When Solo: A Star Wars Story came out in the summer of 2018 to mixed critical and audience reviews, there was one aspect of it that nearly everyone agreed on: Donald Glover's performance as Lando Calrissian was the highlight of the movie. Some fans even said that he stole the spotlight from the main character, Han Solo. As expected, demand was high for Star Wars to incorporate Glover's Lando in future installments of the franchise. Around the time of Solo's release, rumors pointed to the possibility of a Lando spinoff, and though LucasFilm confirmed nothing, even Glover spurred on the speculation. As Solo was releasing in theaters, Glover showed great interest in a potential spin-off, and even pitched a feature film idea for Lando, painting the picture of a heist film similar to Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can.

While all of this was simply comprised of rumors, new information has come to light about the possibility of Donald Glover reprising his role as Lando in a potential Disney+ series. Kessel Run Transmissions: A Star Wars Network, a Star Wars source on YouTube, announced this exciting proposition at 56:25 in this video. They also mentioned rumors of a Disney+ series featuring Jannah and Lando, set after The Rise of Skywalker, claiming that this is an idea "floating around Lucasfilm."

Though audiences got the impression that The Rise of Skywalker hinted at Lando being Jannah's long-lost father, and other materials have implied that this may not be the case, the relationship was never confirmed on screen. To some viewers, pairing them as father and daughter might make quite a bit of sense, given the scene in the film where Lando offers to help Jannah find her family. However, The Rise of Skywalker novelization seems to imply that they are not related, and that Jannah may just remind Lando of his own long-lost daughter. In either case, they can relate to each other, whether it be directly through a familial relationship or through their similar experiences in being separated from family members.

While none of this is confirmed, it is exciting to imagine another spinoff installment in the Star Wars franchise. 2016's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was the first of its kind in the film/TV sphere for Lucasfilm, and opened to critical and audience acclaim. While 2018's Solo: A Star Wars Story was less popular, certain aspects are greatly beloved, such as Glover's Lando. While not a perfect track record, there is clearly room in the Star Wars universe for stories like these. The success of last year's The Mandalorian also proven that fans are ready for television content, too. Considering the climate that COVID-19 has created, it seems like streaming's popularity is here to stay.

One of the best facets of Star Wars is the brand's ability to play across so many different platforms, with film and television being just two of them. While a lot of Star Wars fans delve into every form of media that the brand has to offer, there are many who may not be aware that there are also Star Wars stories to be discovered in comics, books, video games, and more. This means that, even if a Lando show or movie does not enter the pipeline right away, we could very well see Lando pop up in other places sooner or later.

This rumor of a potential Lando show or film joins speculation of other Star Wars shows, such as the Obi-Wan Kenobi and Cassian Andor spinoff shows, both of which are currently in a state of flux.

No matter what happens, it is clear that Donald Glover has a desire to reprise his role, and that fans are clamoring for more Star Wars content, especially surrounding Glover's Lando Calrissian. Not much is known about his character's backstory before or after Solo, or even between Return of the Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, which has roughly 30 years of room with which to play. There have been supplementary materials that have touched a bit upon his canonical adventures between films, but there is still more to tell. While Solo: A Star Wars Story reveals a bit about the smuggler's beginnings, there is plenty of room for a whole slew of heist adventures, thus offering a chance for Lucasfilm to broaden the Star Wars universe by exploring new planets and plot points.

Written By Alex Cherry

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