Solo: A Star Wars Story star Donald Glover is totally in agreement with the revelation that his character Lando Calrissian is pansexual. Solo screenwriter Jonathan Kasdan recently asserted that he views and wrote Lando as pansexual. According to Kasdan, who wrote Solo: A Star Wars Story with his father Lawrence, Lando is very sexually fluid. There’s no one (or nothing) that Lando wouldn’t be attracted to in the Star Wars universe.

Unsurprisingly, the reveal sparked a variety of reactions from people who thought it was completely out of Lando’s character to those who felt it should be more explicitly stated in the movies. By Kasdan’s own admission, Lando’s attraction to others in Solo, including Han, is more implied than anything else. Yet Glover doesn’t see an issue at all. It makes perfect sense to him that Lando would be pansexual. The bigger surprise, to Glover, is why every character doesn’t identify the same way.

In an interview with EW, Glover (and some of the other members of Solo’s cast) were asked about Lando being pansexual. While co-stars Emilia Clarke and Alden Ehrenreich were shocked by the news, Glover responded with little more than a shrug. The actor explained:

Glover’s response is a bit tongue-in-cheek. It was a rather off-the-cuff remark in the interview and meant to elicit laughter more than anything else, which it did from his co-stars. Yet the actor does make some very salient points. Star Wars takes place in a universe with literally hundreds of different alien types. It seems silly for a character, especially one such as Lando, to be attracted to only one gender. True, most aliens seen in the movies have been humanoid in some way. Yet twi’leks and rodians really just scratch the surface of sentient life in the Star Wars universe.

How can you not be pansexual in space? There are so many things to have sex with. I didn’t think that was that weird. Yeah, he’s coming on to everybody. I mean, yeah, whatever. It just didn’t seem that weird to me ‘cause I feel like if you’re in space it’s kind of like, the door is open! It’s like, no, only guys or girls. No, it’s anything. This thing is literally a blob. Are you a man or a woman? Like, who cares? Have a good time out here.

There’s also the existence of droids to consider. Even though Lando’s new companion in Solo, L3-37 is being toted as the first female droid, a droid’s voice only suggests their gender. Otherwise they’re completely neutral and gender-less. If Lando, or any character really, is attracted to a droid it’s pretty easy to argue they’re pansexual.

The revelation that Lando is attracted to anyone, regardless of their gender, really isn’t as big news as it might seem. Lando not having any labels on who (or what) he pursues romantically is perfectly in line with his character. Even if he did come on rather strong to Leia, and no one else, in his movie debut during Empire Strikes Back. It would be nice if the movies portrayed Lando’s sexuality more explicitly. Star Wars has always been sexless and made suitable for fans of all ages, especially children, but a small romance between two characters that aren’t both heterosexual wouldn’t be amiss in the Star Wars canon.

With rumors that Lucasfilm might be considering a Lando standalone movie to follow up Solo, maybe Lando should have a romantic storyline with someone other than a human woman. A Lando movie would be a very safe choice for Disney and Lucasfilm. But Lando emerging from the supporting role of Solo: A Star Wars Story to be the franchise’s first obvious LGBTQ lead could be the hook the hypothetical movie needs.

More: Solo: A Star Wars Story Cost More Than The Force Awakens

Source: EW

  • Han Solo Release Date: 2018-05-25 Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker Release Date: 2019-12-20