Yes, everybody loved Donald Glover’s smooth portrayal of Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story, but the O.G. he ain’t. Rumors have been swirling since The Force Awakens that Billy Dee Williams would eventually return to the role, and were sparked again just last month. Now THR has confirmed Williams will be back as the galaxy’s coolest gambler in Star Wars: Episode 9.
There couldn’t be a better time for this to happen, honestly. With Han Solo, Leia, and Luke Skywalker basically gone, Lando immediately steps in as the most senior human character from the original trilogy. He’ll probably die in a cape-related incident or something (Capes get stuck in escalators all the time, I hear) but at least we’ll get a chance to see what he’s been up to before that happens.
Williams pulled out of an upcoming event appearance due to a filming conflict, tipping people off to his casting. He joins Keri Russell as the newest faces confirmed for Episode 9, which will bring back prior stars Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, and Oscar Isaac. While this is Williams’ first Star Wars film since 1983’s Return of the Jedi, it won’t be his first time back as Lando. He voiced the character in both Star Wars Rebels and briefly in The Lego Movie.
Star Wars: Episode 9 opens December 20th 2019.
