Update: It has been confirmed by Rian Johnson that LandoCalrissian doesn’t feature in The Last Jedi. Original Article below:
In case you are expecting to see LandoCalrissian in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, then we are sorry to disappoint you by informing that there is no place for Billy Dee Williams in the upcoming film. While he wasn’t seen in the series until The Empire Strikes Back reached the half-way point, yet a lot of fans consider Lando as a vital and key part of the original trilogy, and some even consider him at par with the “big three, ” i.e., Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia. Calrissian is the one who aided to lead the Rebel fleet’s assault on the second Death Star, and himself delivered the crippling blow to its main reactor. Without his flying prowess, the Battle of Endor might have gone in a different direction.
The 2015 movie, The Force Awakens saw the sentimental trip down the memory lane of once again seeing Han, Luke, and Leia on the cinema screen, however, Lando was missing from the happenings. The character didn’t even get a mention in Episode VII, which was quite shocking. While Williams is ready to play the role if Lucasfilm asks him, we are not going to see him come back to the distant galaxy at least in this December’s The Last Jedi.
During the Smooth Talkin’ With Billy Dee Williams panel at the Star Wars Celebration Orlando, the actor confirmed not being a part of The Last Jedi. Erik Davis from Fandango then shared the news on Twitter.
It might be a cause of frustration for the old smoothie’s fans, but, Williams’ not featuring in Episode VIII is sensible from one angle. Just like The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi also has a lot to deal with, such as Luke Skywalker training Rey about the Force ways and the ongoing battle between the Resistance and the First Order. Rian Johnson is introducing three new characters played by Benicio Del Toro, Laura Dern and Kelly Marie Tran, besides developing all the characters in continuity and that will consume a great deal of screen time. In any case, it would have been fun to see Williams reprise his character of Lando, but, his entry would have to serve some logical purpose. If the Star Wars is aiming to take a direction away from the legacy factors, then the original trilogy’s elements have to be naturally fitting. There is probably not any space to make Calrissian’s come back possible.
In any case, we will see a younger Lando portrayed by Donald Glover in next year’s Han Solo spinoff and the Lucasfilm story team specializes in placing this guy in canon materials such as Rebels and the novels. Therefore, we can be assured that there will be a point where this character will get the ideal sendoff, and it remains to be seen whether that happens in a future film or in some other way. His fate is among one of the major unanswered questions in the period after Return of the Jedi, and it needs to be answered ultimately.
Source: Erik Davis
Update Source: EW
