Star Wars: 9 Burning Questions About Lando's Return In Episode IX

The king of cool is returning to a galaxy far, far away...

Star Wars Episode IX Lando
Lucasfilm

With Star Wars: Episode IX gearing up to go into production for it's December 2019 release date, rumors have been swirling. One such rumor was that franchise veteran, Billy Dee Williams was doing physical training and prep to appear as Lando Calrissian in the film.

And now, hot on the trail of the announcement that Keri Russell is confirmed to appear in the film, it has been confirmed that Williams will be returning to play Lando once again.

Considering Williams' clear fondness for the role, this isn't all that surprising. In recent years, he's returned to voice the character for several appearances on Star Wars Rebels, danced to the music of Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes' Cantina Music on Dancing With the Stars, and met with Donald Glover to give him advice on playing a young Lando in Solo: A Star Wars Story.

But it does mark Williams' first live-action appearance since 1983 and Lando's first appearance in the new trilogy. With so much time having passed, his planned return brings with it a great many questions. These are the most burning questions about Lando's return.

9. Where Has He Been?

Star Wars Episode IX Lando
Lucasfilm

The last time audiences saw Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian was all the way back in 1983, in Return of the Jedi. Not only is that over thirty years of real-time, it's also over thirty years of time in the Star Wars Universe. Since the last time we saw Lando, the Empire has been snuffed out, the Galactic Republic has been reformed and subsequently destroyed, and the First Order has taken over.

That's a lot of stuff for Lando to have simply been sitting out.

There hasn't even really been an explanation in the expanded materials as-of-yet, with the most applicable story being Daniel José Older's novel, Last Shot, which has a section set a few years after the end of Return of the Jedi and two years after the fabled Battle of Jakku. And although his connections to Cloud City are still made clear here, no explanation is given as to where he might have gone in the decades since.

Whatever the explanation is, it must be something good. Because while it is important to remember that the events of both Force Awakens and Last Jedi unfold over a reasonably short period of time, the First Order destroyed several planets and all but obliterated the Resistance. Hell, no one answered Leia's final distress signals on Crait at the end of Last Jedi.

Lando, sounds like you've got some 'splainin' to do.

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A film enthusiast and writer, who'll explain to you why Jingle All The Way is a classic any day of the week.