After several months of rumours, it has been confirmed that the multi-talented, Donald Glover has been casted to play a young Don Lancaster in an upcoming Star Wars sequel set to release in 2018.
The new standalone Han Solo series is being written/directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller who are known for directing hits like 21 Jump Street and The Lego Movie, suggesting that the new film may head in a more comedic direction. The choice of casting, Glover become more clear with the directors stating:
“These are big shoes to fill, and an ever bigger cape, and this one fits him perfectly, which will save us money on alterations”.
Alden Ehrenreich is set to play the role of Solo, a role which originally launched the career of Harrison Ford. A statement on the official Star Wars website states:
“This new film depicts Lando in his formative years as a scoundrel on the rise in the galaxy’s underworld-years before the events involving Han, Leia, and Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back and his rise to Rebel Hero in Return of the Jedi”.
Glover is known for his work on the comedy show, Community, as well as for his Grammy-nominated album Because the Internet, which he performs under the name of Childish Gambino. Most recently he has been critically acclaimed for creating and starring in his own FX series, Atlanta and will be in the upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming blockbuster in an unknown role.
