By Andrew Sanford | Film | March 19, 2024 |
By Andrew Sanford | Film | March 19, 2024 |
Star Wars is going through an interesting transition. What was once a franchise whose entries were infrequent and more specific has become a content generator. Star Wars shows and movies have been pumped out regularly since Disney sought to continue the franchise starting with The Force Awakens in 2015. The results of the increased output have varied. They’ve also led to some interesting problems, like recasting iconic roles.
The first major attempt at recasting members of the Star Wars universe began with 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story. The film saw Alden Ehrenreich cast as Han Solo, a role Harrison Ford had made famous. This came after Ford’s Solo had been killed in The Force Awakens. It seemed that Disney was planning to have Ehrenreich play the character going forward. However, the film did not do well financially and received a lukewarm reception from critics.
An aspect of the film that mostly went over well was the casting of Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian. The Actor/Writer/Director/Rapper gave a fresh spin on the character that also felt rooted in his rich history. He was sly, sneaky, and funny. Was there a rampant sex appeal that felt undeniable just by looking into his eyes? Well, that depends on who you ask. Just don’t ask the original actor to play Lando.
Billy Dee Williams recently had a chat with Radio Times where they asked him about his time as the space smuggler. When asked about Glover taking over the role he originated, he wasn’t critical, but he doesn’t see anyone else as the Cloud City Administrator. “I had a nice little lunch with him. He’s a delightful young man. Extremely talented,” the Nighthawks actor said. “But I don’t see him … I mean, when it comes to Lando Calrissian there’s only one Lando Calrissian. I created that character.”
Billy Dee may feel some ownership of the character, but he did offer Glover some advice. “I told him to be charming - two words!” he said. “That’s all I needed to tell him. That’s all I could think of.” He also addressed whether he would return to the franchise bluntly and honestly. “Pay me a lot of money and I’ll sell my soul.” The smoothest man in the galaxy remains as such.