The sudden loss of Carrie Fisher not only left her fans and Hollywood peers struggling to cope, but it also opened up questions about her role in future Star Wars movies. While she had completed all of her scenes for The Last Jedi, a back-and-forth ensued about what would happen to General Leia in Episode IX. It was obvious that major changes would need to be made, which is why a total rewrite was ordered, but what we didn't know is that Leia would have been the story's centerpiece.
Lucasfilm's Kathleen Kennedy tells Vanity Fair as part of their extensive profile on the film...
“She was having a blast [making ‘The Last Jedi’]. The minute she finished, she grabbed me and said, ‘I’d better be at the forefront of IX!’ Because Harrison [Ford] was front and center on VII, and Mark [Hamill] is front and center on VIII. She thought IX would be her movie. And it would have been.”
After rumors surfaced that Leia would be digitally recreated, Kennedy cleared things up by saying Leia would not appear in the film at all. That makes The Last Jedi her unfortunate swansong, and you can bet Fisher is going to get quite the emotional send off.
