Donald Glover's costar says he'll bring 'visibility' to Lando, who was 'kind of lost' in 'Star Wars'

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Donald Glover.

"Atlanta" star Brian Tyree Henry is thrilled that the FX comedy's creator and his costar Donald Glover has been tapped to play young Lando Calrissian in the upcoming "Star Wars" standalone movie about Han Solo.

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"I can't think of a better choice for Lando Calrissian than Donald Glover," Henry, 34, recently told Business Insider. "I know for a fact he's going to smash it."

Billy Dee Williams played Lando in "Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi." The character was a crafty smuggler who later became a rebel hero. The character has also been seen in other parts of the "Star Wars" universe of comics, novels, and cartoons.

"He's going to bring something fresh, something new to Lando Calrissian and bring a visibility to a character that was kind of lost in the fray, sometimes, in that franchise," Henry said of what Glover will do in the part.

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Lucasfilm screencap

Billy Dee Williams and Harrison Ford as the original Lando Calrissian and Han solo from "Star Wars."

In the Disney-Lucasfilm standalone movie, Glover - who starred on the comedy show "Community" before creating and starring on "Atlanta" - will play Lando in his formative years as a scoundrel on the rise in the galaxy's underworld.

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"I just love that it's going back to the backstory of Han and Lando, that friendship," Henry told us. "And I think that Donald is absolutely going to showcase himself and his great talent by playing Lando. If he's this generation's Billy Dee, I'm all for it. I think it's fantastic."

Still without a title, the "Han Solo" movie is scheduled for a 2018 release. "Atlanta" will return for its second season in 2017.

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