In the trailer for the upcoming Solo: A Star Wars Story, the character of “Lando Calrissian” (played by Donald Glover) seems all friendly and flirty with just about everyone he encounters.
In one scene, Calrissian calls Han Solo “baby;” in another clip he says with a smile, “Everything you’ve heard about me is true.”
In the film, his female droid L3-37 shares, “I’m sure you noticed that Lando has feelings for me.”
You may recall Billy Dee Williams brought a similar winking sexuality to the character in Episodes V and VI of the Star Wars saga.
With that in mind, Bill Bradley of the Huffington Post asked the father/son screenwriting team of Jonathan and Lawrence Kasdan for Solo in a recent interview if Lando is, indeed, pansexual.
“I would say yes,” Jonathan says. “He doesn’t make any hard and fast rules.”
“There’s a fluidity to Donald and Billy Dee’s (portrayal of Lando’s) sexuality,” he continued. “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.”
While the writers may imply that Lando is sexually fluid, folks who have previewed the film say there’s nothing explicit to that point in the film.
Some of you may be wondering "What's the difference between pansexual and bisexual?" Pansexuals are attracted to all gender identities (or are attracted regardless of gender identities) and bisexuals are attracted to more than one gender identity (but not all).
In the more than 4 decades of Star Wars films, LGBTQ fans have yet to see actual representation in the sci-fi films. It seems that as vast as the universe may be, there are only heterosexuals out in space.
Some Star Wars fans were hoping for more from Laura Dern’s character in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo.
Last fall there was talk that an official tie-in novel, Leia: Princess of Alderaan released in September 2017, revealed Holdo to be the Star Wars universe’s first queer character.
In the book, Holdo mentions in a conversation about sex with Leia that she enjoys "a pair of pretty dark eyes.”
“A pair of pretty dark eyes.” Then Amilyn thought about that for a moment. “Or more than a pair, if you’re into Grans. Or Aqualish, or Talz. Or even —”
“That’s all right!” Leia said through laughter. “It’s just humanoid males for me.”
“Really? That feels so limiting.”
But, eventually LGBTQ Star Wars fans were disappointed again as there was nothing in The Last Jedi that shed any light on Holdo’s romantic life.
Hollywood has been doing this forever it seems.
Audiences were teased in the lead up to the release of last year’s Beauty and the Beast that there would be an "exclusively gay moment" for one of the film’s characters.
In the end, though, all LGBTQ audiences got were vague references to an unrequited crush on “Gaston” by “Le Fou,” and a fleeting, momentary shot of “Le Fou” dancing at the end of the film with a man.
Back in 2007, CNN reported that J.K. Rowling always thought of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore as gay, a point that isn’t explained nor explored at all in the book.
Is it time for Hollywood to stop with the queer baiting LGBTQ audiences?
lando is PANSEXUAL, deadpool is PANSEXUAL
it is our time
— grace (@HUGGERSECTlON) May 17, 2018
Like im really glad that u confirmed lando is pan bc i love him and my gay heart is singing but how about actually putting it in the movie
— logan (@poedamercn) May 17, 2018
Lando Calrissian and Albus Dumbledore walk into a queer bar and order drinks.
The bartender pours them but they frown when they sip. They can't seem to swallow the drink, it only gets their lips wet."What is this?" they ask.
The bartender shrugs. "We only serve lip-service."
— Nathan Burgoine (@NathanBurgoine) May 18, 2018
So this news on Lando’s sexuality- we gotta stop with this queer baiting. Stop saying these characters are queer/fluid and not show it. This is lazy storytelling and doing the bare minimum. pic.twitter.com/qgXytbAD96
— ReBecca Theodore-Vachon (@FilmFatale_NYC) May 17, 2018
I’m gonna say it: If Lando isn’t clearly depicted as pansexual in Solo or any future Star Wars project, simply hinting such is queerbaiting – NOT representation.
This is literally what J.K. Rowling does with Harry Potter characters
— de la Josa (@SlimJosa) May 18, 2018
Solo: A Star Wars Story lands in theaters May 25.
