The untimely passing of Carrie Fisher left a hole in a lot of fans hearts, and while her family and friends mourned her lost, many were left wondering how her death would be addressed in Star Wars: Episode IX. Lucasfilm confirmed that they would not be recasting the role of Leia Organa or using a CGI recreation, but did not give any details on how the movie would use Leia. It was recently revealed that they would be using unused footage of Fisher from Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and according to Fisher's brother, Todd Fisher, J.J. Abrams played a crucial role in making it happen.
In April, Todd Fisher stated that Carrie Fisher would appear in Star Wars: Episode IX through unused footage from Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Lucasfilm was quick to say that this wasn't the case, but it seems like Fisher was right all along. Leia's story will be told in Episode IX, and while we have no idea what that will look like, J.J. Abrams was a big part of figuring it out and providing a conclusion to the story.
Todd Fisher told The Hollywood Reporter that "J.J. [Abrams] really made this happen." Fisher didn't elaborate any more than that, but one would assume it means that Abrams went through the Last Jedi footage and was able to find a way to make a story out of it. Something like that would take a lot of work on Abrams' part, and it's cool to learn that he pushed hard to give Leia an on-screen conclusion.
When fans last saw Leia, she was recovering from her injuries from the First Order's assault on the Resistance from the beginning of the movie and safely escaping on the Millenium Falcon with the rest of the main characters. J.J. Abrams has the unenviable job of closing out the trilogy and addressing Leia's story, but it sounds like the director was able to put something satisfying together.
Not much is known about Star Wars: Episode IX at the moment and by "not much," I really should be saying nothing. All we know for sure is the cast, which will include the obvious actors such as Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, and Oscar Isaac. The movie will also somewhat surprisingly include Mark Hamill, though, the exact size of his role remain undisclosed. Keri Russell is also up for a role, though she wasn't included in the cast announcement.
Fans are no doubt curious to learn what will happen with Leia, but they've still got a long time to wait. Star Wars: Episode IX is set to be released on December 20, 2019. To learn more about the movie, here's what we know so far.
