Lando Calrissian is pansexual, says Solo co-writer (correction)

It’s a big day for Lando/Han ‘shippers.

Lando Calrissian, one of Star Wars’ most popular characters recently reimagined by actor Donald Glover, is pansexual. Jonathan Kasdan — the co-writer on the upcoming Solo: A Star Wars Story and son of legendary Star Wars writer, Lawrence Kasdan— told Huffington Post that Lando is “pansexual,” meaning that he’s “not limited in sexual choice with regard to biological sex, gender, or gender identity,” according to one definition.

“There’s a fluidity to Donald and Billy Dee’s [portrayal of Lando’s] sexuality,” Kasdan told the Huffington Post. “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.”

Questions about Lando’s sexuality aren’t new, but this is one of the first times someone who worked on Star Wars is addressing the conversation. It’s understandable: Solo is full of scenes between Han Solo and Lando that can be deemed flirty. The two have an unquestionable connection, so Kasdan remarking upon Lando’s perceived sexuality makes sense.

The real question, however, is whether Lucasfilm backs Kasdan’s comments. Polygon has reached out to Lucasfilm to inquire whether Lando is canonically pansexual, and what that means for future Lando Calrissian films if they come to fruition. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy recently said the company would love to work on a Lando-centric movie someday, but there’s nothing in development right now.

Kasdan isn’t the only person who’s worked on Star Wars that thinks it’s high time for more LGBTQ representation. The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams also said he wanted to see more LGBTQ characters while promoting The Force Awakens. It’s an ongoing issue, and one that Disney has been criticized for time and time again. The company seems reluctant to include LGBTQ characters in any of its universes, even though same-sex relationships are heavily present in fan-made works. Finn and Poe, for example, are one of the most popular ‘ships in the Star Wars universe; Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes are another popular Disney ‘ship that became so recognizable, a campaign to get them together became a worldwide trend on Twitter.

Even though Kasdan says Lando is pansexual, it’s not canonical yet. It’s kind of like J.K. Rowling celebrating Dumbledore being gay, but not taking the necessary steps to embrace his sexuality in a film like Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald — something she was called out for earlier this year.

Still, conversations like these are a good first step, but only time will tell if Lucasfilm decides to introduce a canonically gay character.

Correction: An earlier version of this story attributed to the quotes to Lawrence Kasdan instead of his son and co-writer, Jonathan Kasdan. The story has been corrected to reflect these changes.