Lando Calrissian has a lot of catching up to do in next year’s Star Wars: Episode IX, having sat out the first two installments in the Sequel Trilogy, but while Billy Dee Williams may be late to the party – even missing the opportunity to reunite with his old peers Han and Luke – the current hearsay is that his role in J.J. Abrams’ upcoming feature will offer a lot more than a quick nostalgia buzz.
The Mirror relays unverified reports of a shot in the film’s first trailer featuring Lando standing alongside Chewbacca and Rey, with the latter seen dressed in black Jedi robes and carrying a modified version of the Skywalker lightsaber on her belt. And while we’ve yet to see any evidence to back up these claims – in fact, we’re still not sure if a finished teaser for the movie even exists – the fans are speculating nonetheless that Lando could get a fair amount of screen time as he tags along with Rey and Chewie on their next adventure.
Regardless of the rumor’s legitimacy, Lando may well be getting a good few scenes in what just might be his final outing. After all, it’s hard to imagine Lucasfilm announcing Williams’ return in advance if a Yoda-style cameo was all they had in mind. There’ve even been prominent rumors lately that franchise newcomer Naomi Ackie will play Lando’s daughter, and while that’s a claim to be taken with a pretty big grain of salt, it would be both typical Star Wars and typical Abrams for this next movie to provide such a passing of the torch.
Anyway, we’ll find out what’s in store for Lando and the team when Star Wars: Episode IX hits theaters on December 20th, 2019.
