A ‘Star Wars’ Screenwriter Says Han Solo’s Smooth-Talkin’ Pal, Lando Calrissian, Is Pansexual

You may have already known that Lando Calrissian, the dastardly pal of Han Solo who appeared in the 1980 Star Wars sequel The Empire Empire Strikes Back, will appear in the upcoming standalone film, Solo: A Star Wars Story (played by Donald Glover). But is Lando Calrissian pansexual? A screenwriter of Solo says yes, he is. Let’s look at the “proof” and what it might mean for the upcoming film.

Who is Lando Calrissian?

Calrissian (who was originally played by Billy Dee Williams) appears as the smooth-talking ambassador of Cloud City. He welcomes Solo and his outlaw friends to Cloud City as one of Solo’s ex-smuggler pals, but he later betrays them to the evil Empire.

Star Wars fans hated Calrissian for betraying the good guys, but no one could deny that Calrissian had charm and style to spare. Upon reuniting with Solo, he takes a small moment alone with him to confess, “You know, seeing you sure brings back a few things.”

He then spends his time charming Princess Leia who seems skeptical of his intentions.

Here’s a clip of Lando Calrissian reuniting with Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back:

Is Lando Calrissian pansexual?

In an interview with The Huffington Post, Solo co-writer Jonathan Kasdan gets asked whether Calrissian is pansexual, and Kasdan replies:

I would say yes. There’s a fluidity to Donald and Billy Dee’s [portrayal of Lando’s] sexuality. I mean, I would have loved to have gotten a more explicitly LGBT character into this movie. I think it’s time, certainly, for that, and I love the fluidity ― sort of the spectrum of sexuality that Donald appeals to and that droids are a part of. He doesn’t make any hard and fast rules. I think it’s fun. I don’t know where it will go.

This might sound like particularly good news as LGBTQ characters in the Star Wars universe are in short supply, but you shouldn’t hold your breath expecting his character to be portrayed as openly pansexual in the next film.

In fact, thus far, the only queer Star Wars characters we’ve seen on the big screen have been a pair of furry male birds (called Porgs) in The Last Jedi and a female Twi’lek alien couple cuddling in the background of Solo.

RELATED | 9 ‘Star Wars’ Characters Who Are Probably Queer

LGBTQ Star Wars fans noted that a hero from The Last Jedi, Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo (a character played by Laura Dern, pictured below), had her bisexuality hinted at in the novel Leia: Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray. But Holdo’s possible bisexuality didn’t make it into the film.