Credit: LucasfilmBilly Dee Williams has played space rascal Lando Calrissian on and off for decades of Star Wars, and he’s prepared to return at pretty much any time. He just has one small requirement, it turns out.
Lando Calrissian (Williams) was introduced in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) as an old frenemy/rival of Han Solo who winds up selling out the smuggler and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) to Darth Vader as part of a surprisingly convoluted plan to flush Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) out his training on Dagobah. To be fair, Lando agreed to the deal under Imperial duress and pretty much immediately regretted it, which is probably why he has gotten to be a good guy for the rest of the franchise.
Related: Disney’s ‘Star Wars’ Sequel Trilogy Rewritten After Latest Franchise Update
Billy Dee Williams last appeared as the character in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), the conclusion of Disney’s sequel trilogy. While the notion that Lando would basically be a Solo replacement never really came to fruition (after Harrison Ford caved and returned to the series), the character has still become an iconic part of the Star Wars franchise.
It turns out that Billy Dee Williams is ready to return to Star Wars at any time, and he really only has one requirement: Disney needs to pay him a whole lot of money. Williams recently told Radio Times that he would play Lando again, succinctly saying, “Pay me a lot of money and I’ll sell my soul.”
Related: Highly-Anticipated Star Wars Film Moving Forward
That seems a somewhat overdramatic way of saying that he would return to Star Wars, but at least the actor is clear about his requirements. Williams also gave his blessing to Donald Glover continuing to portray a younger version of the character, saying, “He’s part of a whole new generation. He’ll create whatever he needs to create, to bring appeal to the character. He’s a very talented young lad and very imaginative. I mean, it’s not for me to say what he should do with the character at this stage. I took care of the 20th century, now he’s got to take care of the 21st.”
So, there you have it, Disney: pay Billy Dee Williams and you’ve got Lando for years to come.
Do you want to see a Star Wars movie focused on Lando? Let’s hear it in the comments!