There was no sign of Lando Calrissian in Star Wars: The Force Awakens so fans are understandably hopeful that Billy Dee Williams might make some sort of cameo appearance in The Last Jedi next month. Well, it appears as if we can forget all about that as director Rian Johnson has confirmed in a new interview with Entertainment Weekly that he never considered using him in the movie.
That's a surprise considering the fact Lando was introduced in The Empire Strikes Back but it doesn't sound like the thought ever crossed Johnson's mind. "No, and I don’t want fans to get their hopes up. He’s not in the film and it was never really something that came up. I mean, I loved that character. It would have been fun to see him, but it’s just not something that ever really had a place in the story." It's not like Williams is on bad terms with Lucasfilm either as he's appeared in Star Wars Rebels!
For his part, Williams appears keen on reprising the role as his manager Brad Kramer tells the site, "Billy respects the studio and all involved in the decision but would be happy to be in any future Star Wars film if asked." Now, we'll have to hope that he could find a place in J.J. Abrams' Episode IX as time is running out for the actor to return as Lando. A younger version will be played by Atlanta star Donald Glover next May in Solo: A Star Wars Story so he's not showing up there either if we had to guess.
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