The death of Carrie Fisher stands out as one of the most devastating occurrences to ever hit the Star Wars fandom. Not only was the actress an icon who largely defined the saga, but her role in the current trilogy had not been completed before her passing. That said, director J.J. Abrams is apparently finding a way to use her in Star Wars: Episode IX, by incorporating unused footage from The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi into the story, and it seems that Carrie Fisher's brother Todd is excited about that Leia's story will come to a close. The actress' brother explained:
My sister and Princess Leia are the same thing. And the idea of that story stopping and her not carrying forward is very disturbing to me. It is awesome that it worked out this way and, thanks to [director] J.J. Abrams, this is going to be very magical and important to us all.
At the end of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Leia is still recovering from the injuries that she sustained during the film, and she sets off with the remaining rebels to set the stage for the ninth movie. That leaves the character in a position that arguably requires more story, and as Todd Fisher explained in his recent interview with ET Canada, it would not feel right to move into the final installment in this trilogy of Star Wars movies without finding a way to close out Leia's story and tie she and the main narrative together in a meaningful way. No recasting or writing her out of the story; audiences will get to see the real Leia cap the story off in a way that feels earned.
Carrie Fisher is not the only actor who will return to round out the story of the Skywalker family. In addition to the late actress, Episode IX has also enlisted the talents of Mark Hamill to return as Luke Skywalker -- presumably in flashbacks or as a Force Ghost, as Luke died at the end of the previous film. Additionally, the new trilogy will finally bring back Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian, and it seems like the perfect time to do so, as Solo: A Star Wars Story served as the ideal springboard to re-introduce the character to a new generation.
Carrie Fisher will return to the Star Wars universe to round out her legacy as General Leia when Star Wars: Episode IX premieres on the big screen on December 20, 2019. CinemaBlend will keep you posted with any and all relevant updates about all of the upcoming Star Wars projects on the big screen as well as the small screen, and for now, you can head over to our movie premiere guide to read up on the films that are still to come in 2018!
