Solo: A Star Wars Story is a space scifi/fantasy/adventure which enjoyed worldwide release. The full-length feature focused on the origin story of one of the most famous characters in the Star Wars franchise: Han Solo, originally played by Harrison Ford but played in this iteration by Alden Ehrenreich, focusing on how he became the space pirate and irascible rascal fans know and love. While Han is the main focal point of the plot, much time and consideration is given to Lando Calrissian — played in Episodes IV-IX by Billy Dee Williams, but here the role is inhabited by Donald Glover. Lando will be the main focus of this entry. Lando is most often seen in his signature yellow color, with occasional glimpses of a blue-and-black coat as well as a few other sartorial pieces showing off the success he has had as a smuggler. He also contends (and it’s a running joke) that Han also took his leather jacket, which Han never gave back and became part of Han’s signature look. Lando wears a mustache, trim goatee, and sideburns, while keeping his natural hair on the shorter side and keeping a side part.
Lando is already a well-established character and flirt in the previous chapters, so seeing him flirt with women in a galaxy far, far away is nothing new. However, Solo expands on this part of his personality and has characters call out how Lando is working a little too hard to impress Han on multiple occasions. In this film there is clearly a sexual undercurrent with how Lando feels about his gambling partner who got his beloved Millennium Falcon away from him. But Solo doesn’t stop there — we see a full romantic arc with how he feels about his robotic teammate, L3-37 (voiced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge).
It does seem to be an unrequited attraction, and we never know what L3’s gender is, but we do know that this goes beyond human genders and goes into other forms of species out in the universe, which indicates that Lando is omnisexual, which falls under the bi umbrella. This is a fun element to add to a character whom the audience already is familiar with — and who is already a fully-fleshed out character in other aspects (he has hopes, dreams, and fears that have nothing to do with his sexuality).
However, we are left with some concerns. This type of characterization can be categorized into another promiscuous bi stereotype. Also, this level of attraction to robots — especially in Lando’s employment, or service — also brings up a slew of ethical questions regarding power dynamics as well as potentially morally gray areas of conduct. That said, Lando does seem to be disappointed yet respectful of L3’s refusal of his love.
But this queering of a character does not stem from mere fan speculation. Both Glover and co-screenwriter Jonathan Kasdan spoke up specifically about the matter of Lando’s expanded known sexuality.
From Glover with Entertainment Weekly, he views the character as pansexual:
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. 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 good time out here.
One thing that Billy [Dee Williams] did say was, be charming. He’s eclectic. He likes different things. He’s somebody who goes around and tries everything, and I just didn’t think about it that much. But I was like, he’s a charming person so I feel like he doesn’t have hard and fast boundaries about everything. But having somebody tell me that, I’m like, okay, cool, makes sense to me. I didn’t think about it that much.
And from Kasdan, in response to a question about if Lando is pan from The Huffington Post, who agrees:
I would say yes. There’s a fluidity to Donald and Billy Dee’s [portrayal of Lando’s] sexuality. 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. He doesn’t make any hard and fast rules. I think it’s fun. I don’t know where it will go.
Ultimately, thus far there are not as many representations of bisexuality in mass media of space sci-fi or fantasy, and especially not in Star Wars. So Lando’s omnisexuality is a pretty big leap forward — almost a light-speed one.