Donald Glover Cast as Lando Calrissian in Young Han Solo Stand-alone Film
Images via Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty, Lucasfilm Movies News Star WarsYou can’t spell “Donald” without “Lando.” That’s just science.
When we first reported that Donald Glover was the rumored front-runner to play a young Lando Calrissian in the forthcoming Han Solo film, it seemed too good to be true. But early Friday evening, Lucasfilm made it official (and made our weekends), announcing that Glover had officially been cast as Solo’s smooth-talking smuggler ally.
Glover, currently on a winning streak with his FX dramedy Atlanta, will take on the role made famous by Billy Dee Williams in 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back. He joins Alden Ehrenreich (Hail, Caesar!), who will star as Han Solo himself, in the somehow-still-untitled stand-alone film, headed up by The LEGO Movie’s Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.
“We’re so lucky to have an artist as talented as Donald join us,” said Lord and Miller in a statement. “These are big shoes to fill, and an even bigger cape, and this one fits him perfectly, which will save us money on alterations. Also, we’d like to publicly apologize to Donald for ruining Comic-Con for him forever.”
Plot details remain limited, but Lucasfilm states that the film “depicts Lando in his formative years as a scoundrel on the rise in the galaxy’s underworld—years before the events involving Han, Leia, and Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back and his rise to Rebel hero in Return of the Jedi.” The film will also show how Lando lost the Millennium Falcon to Solo, per THR.
The Han Solo stand-alone is set for a May 25, 2018 release. Find a few choice reactions to Glover’s casting below, including one from the man himself—Lando, that is.
Glover as lando! I’m PUMPED
— John Boyega (@JohnBoyega) October 21, 2016
These make me so happy. @burnettski92@philiplordpic.twitter.com/zJKKVnx1ce
— Mike Ryan (@mikeryan) October 21, 2016
needless to say, donald glover as lando: ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
— el-p (@therealelp) October 22, 2016
Happy for everyone about this Lando news, kinda dreading the announcement of who’s gonna play young Nien Nunb tho. pic.twitter.com/3ULidKsNZg
— Aaron Stewart-Ahn ???? (@somebadideas) October 22, 2016
A film on young Lando starring Donald Glover is pretty much perfection. #StarWarspic.twitter.com/kk9VlVS6y6
— Dalton Ross (@DaltonRoss) October 21, 2016
This Han Solo movie is gonna be awesome pic.twitter.com/r0PJ0APFdU
— Alex Zalben (@azalben) October 21, 2016
Donald Glover is Lando Calrissian. Sometimes, fan-casting gets it right.
— Bob Chipman (@the_moviebob) October 21, 2016
@starwars I WAS A GOOD LOOKING YOUNGSTER
— Lando Calrissian (@CapeLando) October 21, 2016