Star Wars 9 adds another classic character as Lando returns – but whose side is he on?

Star Wars Episode 9 is about to get another dose of the Original Trilogy as everyone’s favourite cape-wearing betrayer, Lando Calrissian, is back for the first time on-screen in over 35 years since 1983’s Return of the Jedi. But can we trust him this time around?

THR all, but confirm that Billy Dee Williams is stepping back into the breach as the ex-Cloud City Baron Administrator when Star Wars 9 rolls around in 2019. That would make the fourth major character to return from the original set of movies after Leia, Han, and Luke all showed up in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Of course, the character was also impeccably played by Donald Glover just a few months ago in Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Now, the big question remains as to whether Lando Calrissian. is firmly with the forces of good or whether he’s in line to be a First Order stooge.

Rumours had recently surfaced around Lando’s big return, which led me to do some digging on how the character’s fared off-screen between the events of The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. It turns out that while he’s playing his trade in the Unknown Regions, he’s sent his condolences to Leia following the death of her beloved (and Lando’s long-time rival), Han.

That would suggest to me that he could work as a replacement for Leia, leading the charge for the Resistance and finding either a sneaky way in to worm into the First Order’s good books and betraying them (that’d be a great bookend for the character) or a chance to play the hero for the first time in, well, ever.

And you never know – he might just get his Millennium Falcon back.

It’s not quite a case of out with the old, in with the new, but the new Star Wars movies coming soon to a galaxy far, far away are sure to please classic and more recent fans alike.

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.