Carrie Fisher's untimely death last year left Hollywood stunned, and Star Wars fans in particular have continued to grieve over her loss. But they've also begun to think about the future of the franchise, and how Star Wars: Episode 9, which was to have General Leia in a significant role, could possibly proceed. Lucasfilm has already assured us that CGI won't be used to recreate Fisher, which was a relief to everybody. So what they will do instead is use existing "recent footage" of her to bring Leia back on last time.
We know this thanks to Carrie's brother, Todd, who filled the New York Daily News in on an agreement he and Carrie's daughter Billie Lourd struck with Lucasfilm...
“Both of us were like, ‘Yes, how do you take her out of it?’ And the answer is you don’t. She’s as much a part of it as anything and I think her presence now is even more powerful than it was, like Obi Wan — when the saber cuts him down he becomes more powerful. I feel like that’s what’s happened with Carrie. I think the legacy should continue… To me, Star Wars is the holy grail of storytelling and lore and you can’t mess with it.”
So what's going to happen to Leia, anyway? She has a significant part to play in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and it hasn't been changed to reflect Fisher's death. Leia is meant to have a final confrontation with her son, Kylo Ren, in Episode 9 and who knows? Perhaps it turns out the way it did for Han Solo? Doubtful, but one never knows. Somehow we're going to see Leia ride off into the sunset, hopefully in the most amazing ceremonial Corellian cruiser in the galaxy.
