How Lando Calrissian Could Save the Resistance in Episode IX

Following new rumours that Billy Dee Williams is preparing to return as Lando Calrissian in Star Wars Episode IX, I’ve been left to consider what sort of a role he could play in this final film of the trilogy. With Han, Luke and technically Leia gone, the role that Lando plays could end up being very significant, and could even save the Resistance completely. But how could he do this?

Could Lando save the Resistance?

First let’s consider the state of the Resistance at the end of The Last Jedi. In the course of the film they’ve lost their entire fleet, with the only remaining ship being the Millennium Falcon. They’ve also lost a large number of soldiers, with all those remaining escaping on the Falcon at the end of the film. So they’re left with very limited supplies, no fleet, and very few soldiers. In other words, they are certainly in no position to take on the First Order who, although unstable, still have star destroyers to spare.

In The Last Jedi they mentioned support in the Outer Rim, but no-one seemed too keen to help in the film, so I think it’s fair to assume that they lack the support of any substantial military force. The Resistance is pretty much isolated at the end of the film.

The remnants of the Resistance escaped on the Falcon in The Last Jedi

So what could Lando do to help? We don’t really know what he’s been up to in the time between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, but I think we can make some assumptions. We know that Han had returned to life as a smuggler, so it’s fair to assume that Lando returned to his old ways as well. This would probably mean spending his days in casinos, cheating his way into large sums of money and entertaining everyone with his charm and exaggerated stories.  

I hope we see him come to the aid of the Resistance in Episode IX, and he would certainly be in the position to do so. I have no doubt that he would have plenty of money, with a large enough influence that he would be able to pull together a small fleet for the Resistance. So he could be in the position to help the Resistance rebuild, and I think he would definitely be willing to do so.

Lando could have returned to gambling after Return of the Jedi

It’s also possible that we could see a large time jump between The Last Jedi and Episode IX, where Lando has been working with the Resistance for quite some time. This could work better than a small time jump where we see the Resistance go to Lando for help, as it gives both sides time to rebuild for a final, climactic battle.           

I guess we can’t be sure of the role Lando will play in Episode IX, if any. I just hope we see him return to screen, as I think it would fit in really well with the trilogy and give Lando the representation he deserves, especially after being left out of the last two films. Let’s just hope they don’t kill him off.

What to Expect From Star Wars: Resistance

Star Wars: Resistance, a new animated series set before The Force Awakens, will follow the adventures of the Resistance pilot Kazuda Xiono and is set to come out this autumn. It is created by Dave Filoni, who also created Star Wars Rebels, and directed Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The series is expected to explore new territory with new characters, so what can we expect from it?

Well, we know that it’s going to be an anime-inspired style of adventure, featuring a lot of ship to ship combat. Hopefully then, we can expect some interesting new ship designs, and I think we can expect some entertaining, high-speed battles. Based on the previous animated shows, I hope we can also expect an engaging story line which looks at the Resistance and the First Order in more detail than is possible for the films to show.

Whilst we don’t know much about new characters yet (as we’ll learn about them in the show), we do know that the show will feature BB-8, Poe Dameron and Captain Phasma. I think it will be interesting to see what those characters were up to during the early days of the Resistance and the First Order, especially soon as that is left unexplored by the new trilogy. It’s also great to see that Oscar Isaac and Gwendoline Christie will continue to voice the two characters even in the show, instead of getting new voice actors in.

Captain Phasma and Poe Dameron will both be in the show

There’s also room here to link to Star Wars Rebels, as although the show ended, it was certainly left open enough to feature these characters again in Star Wars: Resistance. Hera, for example, could perhaps play a more senior role; maybe she could even be in charge of this new group. They might even want to feature Sabine and Ahsoka as they search for Ezra, although I’m not sure how they would be able to link that to the Resistance plot line, or if they would even want to explore that.

Could the show link to Star Wars Rebels?

Clearly, Star Wars: Resistance offers a lot of opportunities for linking to other shows and characters, and it will be interesting to see what Filoni decides to do with that. However, I do hope they keep the focus on these new characters, and take full advantage of the open field they have during this time period. Who knows what they decide to do? We’ll just have to wait until autumn to find out.    

Boba Fett - Do We Need a Film?

It seems we should be expecting a Boba Fett anthology after all, coming from Logan director James Mangold. But I’m still left feeling uncertain as to whether or not we actually need one.

For me, the character of Boba Fett has never been of that much interest; he was just there to fill the bounty hunter role and to look cool. Sure, he was given a backstory by Attack of the Clones and the Clone Wars series, with more details now coming from the comics. But he never really felt like a developed character to me, or one that was worth exploring.

Fett was more of a powerful presence than a charater

I guess that’s because he’s not really a character, more of a persona. He’s the well-known bounty hunter that we must look at with both awe and fear. But other than that, his motives and personality aren’t really that relevant. Plus, surely by making him more of a person it would actually take away from the mystery and power of his character.

Also, there’s the issue of releasing the film as the next anthology after Solo. The problem is that it deals with the same people, the crime syndicates and the underworld. Having two films in a row that both focus on this particular area might feel a bit repetitive, whilst also not making the most of film potential in other areas.

However, it could provide the potential to connect with Solo, particularly with the story of Qi’ra and ‘that’ character at the end of the film. As someone quite keen on a Solo sequel, I would be interested to see how they could fit those characters into a Boba Fett film. But it’s possible that might detract too much from the main plot of the film, so might not be a viable option.

Could the film link to Qi'ra's story arc?

So I guess I don’t really think we need a Boba Fett film after all. But I will remain open minded and interested to see what they decide to do with the film. You never know, it could prove me wrong and be a great film. I guess I can just keep hoping for that Solo sequel…