Another plot point necessitated by real life circumstances.
What the hell?! FOX couldn’t dish out more money so Harrison Ford could stick around to film at least one scene with Mark Hamill?!
It actually isn’t Fox anymore, as Hal hinted earlier: Lucas sold the franchise out of shame over how much everyone hates him (although public opinion of him will become much more positive with his absence). And anyone who knows Harrison Ford knows that money can only go so far with him. 😉
Hopefully him and Billy Dee have some fun banter before Han dies.
Unfortunately, Lando isn’t in Episode 7 either. He only appears for a few scenes in Episode 9, including one critical moment in the final battle. In general, it seems like the filmmakers didn’t consider Lando to be as important as the “big 3” original protagonists.