“How you doin’, ya old pirate? So good to see ya!”

Billy Dee Williams is returning to the silver screen for Star Wars Episode IX.

The Hollywood Reporter says the 81-year old actor who is famous for playing the suave gambler, and Bespin gas miner, Lando Calrissian will return in Star Wars: Episode IX, the next Star Wars saga installment from Lucasfilm currently being directed by J.J. Abrams.

Billy Dee was most recently seen at the Solo: A Star Wars Story Red Carpet movie premiere rocking a cane which we hope will be part of his schtick in the upcoming Star Wars film. Perhaps a diamond-topped cane in a return to the Canto Bight Casino will be in order, or he will perhaps be joining his friend Chewbacca in mourning after hearing the news of Han and Luke’s (and probably Leia’s) passing all within a few days in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi timelines and then helping to take down the unseen military power brokers at Canto Bight.

Speculation began to surface back in May 2018 about the possible return of Williams to Star Wars after he went into a training regime and diet however his involvement has now been confirmed according to Hollywood Reporter sources.

The popular character Lando Calrissian has not been seen on film since 1983’s Return of the Jedi after debuting in 1980’s Empire Strikes Back. However, Billy Dee has voiced the character in the animated Star Wars series Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures, Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales and Star Wars Rebels, as well as the games Star Wars Battlefront 1 & 2.

Star Wars Episode IX will conclude the Skywalker saga and again star Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac and Adam Driver and adds Keri Russell and now Billy Dee Williams as new additions to the cast of the film and will hit cinemas in December 2019.