ST Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian) in Episode IX

I know, but someone said I should be more positive.

 

Here's how Lando's death should be handled - he fills in for the role of Ackbar in an assault on something like the Star Forge which explains the First Order's impossible weapony and rise to power. However as an impossibly large fleet jumps in and surrounds them and he begins to yell that it's a trap, he pauses, furrows his brow, and says wait, then he tries to desperately relay to the main cast on the falcon that he's been in this situation before, that they're stuck in some sort of timeloop, that it's surely somehow connected to the force. This sets the main cast on the path to finding the World Between Worlds following the early victory of the First Order, where they escape to the real Star Wars galaxy which hosts Luke's successful Jedi Academy, Han's successful business operation, Leia's successful New Republic, etc, which will fight the fallen galaxy where Luke killed Vader and balance wasn't restored to the force, in the new Schism Saga which takes Star Wars somewhere new, where Kylo completely dominates a fallen galaxy, where the dying force tried to play out the Luke Skywalker destiny once more in Rey with exactly recreated scenes and dialogue, but ultimately failed, creating other aberrations such as Broom Boy who will actually be part of Kylo's new darkside lineup in a few years rather than the symbol of hope that Rian Johnson intended (subvert that right through). An angry ghost Vader is guiding Kylo and will make him more powerful. Snoke was the Emperor's next apprentice after Vader because Luke didn't defeat him at Endor in that galaxy, after he killed his father (which is where he got the idea to almost do it on his sleeping nephew too), it took a few more years, hence all the lack of explanation about Snoke still.

For bonus points, when Lando tries to relay that he's realized that they're stuck in some sort of time loop with events repeating which he's seen before, Rose sighs, tells a hooded technician that they know, and there's no need for the act now, and insists that she needs to suit up and fight from the outside of the falcon or they're going to die. She calls the hooded figure Father, who turns out to be DJ to Finn's surprise, who no longer stutters, and he opens a box and Rose dons Sabine Wren's purple Mandalorian armour Tony Stark style, then goes out through a hole in the falcon and blasts off tie fighters by hand. Turns out her and DJ aren't pointless characters, they're Ezra and his/Sabine's daughter from yet another galaxy (the Ahsoka galaxy, where saber copters are a thing), who traveled to this one to try to guide key figures to restoring balance to this force and stopping the conflict from spilling into theirs, all that stuff at the end of Rebels has a purpose and they became guardians of the world between worlds, and leave in a fluster when they realize that they've failed (for bonus points, an animated movie gets to be made where in her universe, Ahsoka was actually at the battle of Endor in the throne room too, instead of the awkward implication that she was alive during all those movies without being involved, so much multiverse and alternative stories potential).

 

Here is my version:
He has a heroic cameo in Episode IX and dies offscreen between Episode XVII and XVIII after living a long, prosper and peaceful life which is enriched by bi-annual blastings of death stars together with his buddy Nien Nunb.

 

In my version he'd probably be back in the real Star Wars galaxy , all the main cast dying and being driven into the mud and seemingly acting out of character becomes a plot point of how that is the failed galaxy which went off the rails decades earlier, where the weird unspecified prophecy of the prequels was never fulfilled and Luke was a family killer failure effectively called Jake Skywalker who followed up on failure Jedis, where Yoda lost his mind and became a little psycho gremlin who burns down trees while stamping his feet and cackling with laughter, instead of that sort of behaviour being an act which Yoda put on in his first appearance of ESB to test Luke, turns out with a little nudge it could be Yoda's real identity.

(I'm trying to retcon the crap out of the ST and turn all its character and universe inconsistencies into a plot point. Hey, it worked out being true for the new Star Trek Discovery show, fans who'd been around longer than I were claiming things were off and the only satisfying explanation was alternate universe shenanigans).

 

Yeah here's how you handle a proper Lando death, he doesn't die!! At least one of the old hero's should get to have a nice retirement and then die later on peacefully from old age.

 

I've always believed that death has a near Lando experience.

 

I mean Yoda got a (more or less) peaceful death in ROTJ. Dying in his bed by a comfy fire of old age/illness, with his last student by his side after imparting some final nuggets of wisdom/advice before he went. And it worked.

So I don't see why everyone's death in the ST needs to be "tragic."

 

Just in case there was any doubt:

 

Well there was that casting call for Caro though the age they were looking for would make the character more in line to be Lando's granddaughter unless he pulled a George Clooney and had a kid in his 50's.

 

I would like to see Lando return with a daughter (or son, or both) in tow. I believe a role for a young black woman was rumoured? Maybe. And, you know, a gold cane is a must.

 

Actually, I could see Poe already knowing him, due to being the oldest and most well-travelled of the new heroes.

 

That's right, Nien Nunb is still around!!!
There has to be at least one instance of interaction between the two of them, for old times' sake

 

Cant wait for the scene where Lando is introduced to BB-8 and he says '' Helloooo...what do we have here? ''.

 

Agreed. Why must they all pass on. I'm still questioning the reason for Luke dying the way he did (but that's another topic) but Han was a request from Harrison that wanted him gone, and Leia (if they go the route of not recasting) is due to real life, and that can't be helped. (Star Trek is going to have to deal with that with Chekhov for the next movie even.) So why figure that they're going to kill Lando?

I could totally see him being part of some deal in the Unknown Region. Maybe he has a deal with the Chiss, and having a daughter there could be an interesting deal, maybe make her older than the others, closer to Poe's age. I mean, we know that he was sort of a player in his younger years, so why not use that. Also this isn't the first time he's come back to reprise Lando. Rebels had him in the first or second season. Having him be Chancellor would be great! It would fit right in for him, or at least the politician for the Unknown regions.

 

I really hope that Lando comes in with some awesome daughter who will have some unique fighting style or something.

Yeah, Lando was awesome in Solo. I don't see what you're talking about.

 

Sorry, I had to:

 

Star Wars seems to be influenced by Marvel a lot recently. Wonder if this inspired them.

 

People keep saying that, but I have yet to see a source confirming it.
In fact, it's been stated that Abrams and Kasdan arrived at that decision to make Kylo Ren an impactful successor to Darth Vader. Maybe they did so with encouragement from Ford (who has always stressed that his reasoning was about giving the character a real purpose in the story by sacrificing him to lend emotional weight), but still, it's not like it happened just because he wanted it.

 

I can't tell if you're talking to me, as you quoted my post, but I loved Lando in Solo. That's why I said maybe Billy Dee was perfectly cool with Glover's take. It's deathfromabove that has an undefined problem with it.

 

need some

Yes, I messed the formatting

 

Because we need a Clean Sweep!

To borrow from Killmonger "Star Wars is going to start over....we're going to BURN it all!"

In all seriousness....it would be funny if Lando has been living a successful life with his own family. Think about it, of all the OT characters he would be the LEAST impacted by Ben's turn to the Darkside. Perhaps he tried to help Han by ensuring he had a good ship and crew when he went back to smuggling. It might even be WHY Han survived the Rathtars...the crew was under orders to protect Han at all cost...by Lando. With Leia he was the one that funded the majority of the Resistance, and with Luke he's the one the provided the funds to build his first temple.

So, why didn't he show up at the end of TLJ...he was in the middle of a fighting retreat from his home and literally could not get there in time. So we imply (or show in a Flashback or comic arc) that Lando gathered the remains of the Republic military and linked up with Leia and her team to officially found the New Alliance.

....and...it would be a fun way to turn that old trope (Black person dies first) on it's head.

 

I agree. In fact, I wish I could find the quote, but Harrison Ford actually denied that them killing Han was a condition of him coming back to play the role. He did want him to die in ROTJ, so I think people just assume that was the case for TFA.

 

Imo Lando should not be in Ep IX. Let the past die..

 

I was perfectly ok with Glovers performance as Lando in Solo.It was just the weird retcon of the characters sexuality and the films habit of making him the butt of silly jokes which was off to me.If i was BDW, i would not have been happy.

 

Actually, there was no retconning of Lando's sexuality in Solo. It was never mentioned in canon material thus far. It is merely assumed to be heteronormative and that's more an unconscious bias than anything. Solo clarified it.