Lando isn’t the only Solo character who deserves their own Disney+ show

Seeing Donald Glover’s Lando Calrissian in Star Wars again would be a big deal. But if Lando gets his own Disney+ show, Qi’ra should too.

With rumors of a Lando Calrissian-led Disney+ Star Wars series floating around recently, it’s impossible not to consider other Star Wars characters that could one day lead their own shows.

It would be great to see The Calrissian Chronicles come to fruition for a number of reasons. Lando has always been the charming scoundrel that’s rarely safe to trust, but the appeal goes beyond the character.

More from Editorial

• How animation changed Star Wars: Ewoks and Droids
• The Acolyte might change Star Wars storytelling
• No Star Wars for Feige, and I’m ok with that.
• 3 major ways the Star Wars Holiday Special changed canon
• If Jon Favreau remakes the Holiday Special, it needs to star Peli Motto

Donald Glover captured Lando’s essence flawlessly while adding his own flair to the role. Give him the chance to do some of the writing and a Lando-focused show would go from great to spectacular.

And then there’s the fact that Star Wars is due for a series headlined by a black character and actor. Lando and Glover are both already familiar to the franchise and its fans, and could absolutely pave the way for more black characters and actors to lead their own shows in the years to come.

Giving a woman a lead role in her own show wouldn’t be a bad move, either. Yes, Ahsoka and Ashley Eckstein had their spotlight, but it’s someone else’s turn now. And who better to turn to than a character so many love who hasn’t gotten nearly enough attention outside the one Star Wars film she has appeared in?

Qi’ra has already proven she is more than just Han Solo’s former love interest. Her character arc soared when she faced off with the film’s villain all on her own and took him down without remorse. She has depth. And it could go so much further.

Mur Lafferty’s Solo: A Star Wars Story novelization takes Qi’ra’s backstory a little deeper, hinting more at the abuse she endured while locked in Dryden Vos’s grip and adding another layer of intrigue to the untold stories about her past.

But we also know nothing about her life beyond Solo. She has yet to appear in any books or comics that span beyond the movie’s adaptions. We don’t know if she actually met Maul on Dathomir or what came of any training she may have undergone there. We don’t know what her role with Crimson Dawn became, or if she and Han ever crossed paths again.

Stream Solo: A Star Wars Story on Disney+.

These are all the things we’ve been hoping for in a Solo sequel. But even if that never happens — the future of Star Wars movies is looking a little shaky at the moment — Disney+ has opened up the perfect opportunity for even just a mini-series exploring more of Qi’ra’s story.

We know Lando, and Maul, and we definitely know plenty about Han Solo. Getting more of these characters in future shows would be fine — it’s a ‘safe’ move for Disney because these characters have long since proven their appeal.

Giving Qi’ra her own show shouldn’t be considered risky, but I’m willing to meet them halfway here. Women are taking on bigger roles behind the scenes on these projects, and we need to remember to keep praising them for that. But we also can’t stop there.

Women need to become the faces of more of these shows, too. Rebels took some big steps giving Hera and Sabine such impactful character arcs. Characters like Qi’ra deserve the same treatment on a larger scale.

(Not to say that I wouldn’t die for a Sabine Wren-centered show. But she’s already been heavily featured in four seasons’ worth of content. Qi’ra got barely a few hours.)

Give us more about the crime syndicates in the dark days of the Empire’s reign, absolutely. But make Qi’ra one of the leading players. Let her have the spotlight she deserves.

Which characters do you want to see featured in future Star Wars shows?