Could Billy Dee Williams be planning to reprise his role as Lando Calrissian in the upcoming Star Wars Episode IX? A recent tweet leads some fans to think that he might.
This comes from the official Twitter account of MegaCon Orlando, where Williams is one of many celebrities set to appear. “Fun Billy Dee Williams fact: Billy just had his 81st birthday. He’s training 3 times a week with a trainer and has a whole new diet,” they wrote.
On its own, that information is not too interesting. However, it raises eyebrows when one remembers that Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) and Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa) both took up remarkably similar health routines before reprising their roles in the new Star Wars Trilogy. Could Williams, too, be trying to get in shape for a taxing new role?
It is also worth noting that, while Hamill and Fisher had spent years trying to pry themselves away from the franchise before their reprisal, Williams seems far more comfortable with his most iconic role; most of his recent work has been voice acting as Lando, whether for the Star Wars: Rebels cartoon or the controversial Star Wars: Battlefront II video game or even a parody in Robot Chicken. What we’re saying is, if the people behind Episode IX wanted him back, he would not need a lot of convincing.
Another point in this rumor’s favor is Lando’s recent appearance in SolO: A Star Wars Story. This younger version of the character was played by Donald Glover, and most reviewers point to him as one of the highlights of the movie; indeed, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has even floated the idea of a Lando spin-off film, and idea which fans seem excited about. If the character is having a heyday, why not use him as much as possible?
And, spoilers for the The Last Jedi: Luke is dead, Han died in The Force Awakens, and while Leia is still alive, Fisher’s death means that Leia cannot appear in the final movie. While the absence of the original trio could be used to let the new characters stand on their own, it would be nice to include Lando―the sort of unofficial fourth member of their group―as one last vestige of the old era as the new closes.
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