The Big Picture
- Donald Glover is set to write a new Lando series for Disney+, following his portrayal of the character in Solo.
- Justin Simien was originally attached but has since left the project.
- Lando Calrissian was originally played by Billy Dee Williams in the original Star Wars trilogy.
Lando is back baby! Donald Glover, who played a younger version of the iconic Star Wars character in Solo, is set to pen the series with his brother Stephen Glover. The series has been in the works at Disney+ for quite some time. When Lando was first announced in December 2020, Haunted Mansion director Justin Simien was attached, but he has since exited the project according to Variety.
The swashbuckling friend of Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Lando Calrissian was first played on screen by Billy Dee Williams in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Glover took over in the prequel one-shot Solo and will likely reprise the role in the upcoming series.
While the plot of the upcoming Star Wars spinoff is currently kept inside of an Imperial vault, Glover’s version of the character was seen left alone after losing the Millennium Falcon to Han Solo (played by Alden Ehrenreich in the 2018 prequel), leaving his fate uncertain up until the point when they meet again in the Cloud City of Bespin.
A Young Hero Builds a Name for Himself
Glover’s version of the character doesn’t have the prestige his older counterpart has in the galaxy far, far away. Since he finds himself alone in a time period when the Empire was at the peak of its strength, he needs to find new allies who can help him get the power he needs to build a name for himself. While it remains to be seen who will stand up against the young gambler in his own series, Qi’Ra (Emilia Clarke) now holds an influential position in the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate, a group of outlaws led by Darth Maul (Ray Park). Even if those antagonists don’t make their way to Disney+, characters like Jabba the Hutt and Han Solo himself are still alive during the time period when Calrissian was still young.
Stay tuned at Collider for further updates on Lando and check out our interview with Glover and Phoebe Waller-Bridge from Solo down below.