Although we recently reunited with Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story, that was with Donald Glover playing a younger version of the future Cloud City administrator. As far as Billy Dee Williams’ version is concerned, it’s been almost 40 years since we last saw him on the big screen in Return of the Jedi, but that finally changes later this year in Star Wars: Episode IX. Now we finally have our first look at Williams’ Lando back in action. Check it out!
As you can see, rather than wear the same kind of duds he wore in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Billy Dee Williams’ Lando Calrissian has pulled from his Solo: A Star Wars Story wardrobe, donning a yellow shirt like the one Donald Glover wore. However, if there’s one consistent thing we can expect from any iteration from Lando, it’s a cape, and Williams looks great wearing one of those again.
As for Lando Calrissian’s location in this Star Wars: Episode IX picture, while I originally thought it was the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon, the ship that belonged to him before Han Solo won it in a game of sabacc, it’s also possible this is simply someone’s humble abode somewhere in a galaxy far, far away. Either way, Lando’s doing a spectacular job of brightening the room.
Although Billy Dee Williams vocally reprised Lando Calrissian a few years back for two episodes of Star Wars Rebels, there’s nothing like seeing Williams in person inhabiting the role again after all this time. And while Mark Hamill will be back as Luke Skywalker (undoubtedly as a Force ghost) and unused footage of Carrie Fisher from The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi will allow Leia Organa to have a presence, it’s nice to have another member of the Original Trilogy guard participate in Episode IX, especially with this being the final installment of this trilogy.
While it’s nice to have this picture of Billy Dee Williams back as Lando Calrissian, the character’s specific role in Star Wars: Episode IX is still being kept under wraps, which is par for the course with this franchise, as it’s ridiculously careful not to divulge too many plot details. But here’s what Williams had to say about reprising Lando after all these years:
I didn’t expect to be in this adventure, but I got lucky. I ended up working for someone I have a tremendous regard for J.J. Abrams. He’s a beautiful man. I’ve been doing this for a long time, 60 years… but I regard this as a real highlight, a true, genuine highlight.
Billy Dee Williams also added that it wasn’t hard to get back into character, as Lando Calrissian never “left” him. However Lando ends up fitting into Episode IX, it’ll be good not just to see him back in action, but also interacting with the protagonists who have lead the charge in this current Star Wars trilogy.
Star Wars: Episode IX, or as it’s now officially known, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, opens in theaters on December 20. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates, and check out our 2019 release schedule to learn when this year’s other movies are coming out.
