Donald Glover Echoes 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' Writers' Comments About Lando's Pansexuality

For nearly 40 years, Lando Calrissian has been one of the suavest characters in sci-fi history, with Solo: A Star Wars Story writers confirming last week that his romantic interests weren't limited to a set number of genders. Actor Donald Glover echoed those comments, claiming that anyone exploring the depths of space wouldn't need to adhere to antiquated definitions of sexuality.

"How can you not be pansexual in space?" Glover shared with Sirius XM's Entertainment Weekly Radio. "There are so many things to have sex with. I didn't think that was that weird. Yeah, he's coming on to everybody. I mean, yeah, whatever. 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 a good time out here."

While explaining that Lando wouldn't be beholden to primitive perceptions of gender, Glover explained the advice given to him by original Lando actor Billy Dee Williams and how that motivated his performance.

"One thing that Billy did say was, be charming," Glover noted. "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. Is it weird that I didn't think about it that much?"

Comments about Lando's pansexuality from Jonathan Kasdan were controversial and promising for a variety of reasons.

"I would say yes," Kasdan shared with The Huffington Post about Lando's orientation. "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."

On the one hand, many audiences were excited that a filmmaker would confirm an iconic character expanded the concepts of romantic relationships in the galaxy far, far away. However, there were frustrations from fans who felt like Kasdan, who co-wrote the film with his father Lawrence, had the power to make a bolder statement about Lando's pansexuality. Merely offering a passive explanation instead of actively incorporating it into the storyline felt like explaining the fact in an interview after the film's completion was disappointing.

Additionally, some fans, having seen Lando flirt with Leia Organa in The Empire Strikes Back, considered this confirmation as the character being heterosexual, ignoring the fact that Lando would feasibly flirt with a woman while also being pansexual.

Fans can see Lando when Solo: A Star Wars Story hits theaters on May 25th.

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[H/T Entertainment Weekly]