This deal keeps getting better all the time
Give Lando his own series
Last week a rumor spread across the internet that Disney Plus was working on a new Star Wars series starring Donald Glover, who may once again play Lando Calrissian, by far the smoothest, most entrepreneurial scoundrel in the galaxy. And if this is true and Lando is back, we should all (cautiously) rejoice.
Now, some skepticism is understandable, so let’s confront a couple of the greatest likely objections. First, some have said that this is simply another Disney cash grab, a cynical corporate scheme to milk a few million more dollars out of the Star Wars fan base. To this, we say: yeah, of course it is. We’re not supposed to talk about it, but we’re going to let you in on a little secret: all the Star Wars movies were ploys to get your money. Nay, not just Star Wars, but ALL movies. It’s a given. The real question is, are they giving us anything we like in return?
Second, Solo: A Star Wars Story didn’t exactly wow audiences and was a box office disappointment. We tend to think that a lot of that was driven by two factors: franchise fatigue and disappointment that a 20ish-year-old Harrison Ford didn’t time travel to 2018 to play the role of young Han Solo. But now that the dust has settled for a while, we can safely say that, since time-travelling Harrison wasn’t an option, actor Alden Ehrenreich did a solid job as Han. Bottom line: Solo has set up likeable characters played by actors who can credibly play Calrissian and (dare we hope) Han at some point.
Disney has already demonstrated the ability to deliver fresh energy in The Mandalorian. Plus, the excitement around The Clone Wars reveals a level of trust from fans that the evil Disney Empire might not be all bad. Now add to this admittedly short but impressive track record Glover’s inspired Lando performance, as well as the potential story lines a Calrissian series might have, well you have a lot of amazing potential there.
But the main reason to be hopeful rests on Glover. Even the most critical reviews of Solo seemed to single out his performance. When Billy Dee Williams introduced him to us in The Empire Strikes Back, it was made clear that he had a shady, criminal past and was so shifty that Han did not trust him at all, friends though they were. Glover exuded Lando’s style. Give him a good script, and we may be in for one heck of a ride.
Unless he betrays us to the Disney Empire. You know what? Keep your eyes open.
Originally published at https://www.damperthree.com on July 29, 2020.
