Over the past few months, there has been a lot of speculation regarding the role that Princess Leia (the late Carrie Fisher, who tragically passed away this past December) would have not just in the upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but also Star Wars: Episode IX, assuming that the character would survive that far.
Well, it seems that Carrie Fisher was originally going to play a rather larger part in the final chapter of the Sequel Trilogy, as Kathleen Kennedy revealed to Vanity Fair that: “The minute she finished, she grabbed me and said, ‘I’d better be at the forefront of IX!’ Because Harrison was front and center on VII, and Mark is front and center on VIII. She thought IX would be her movie. And it would have been.”
As yet, it’s unclear how Lucasfilm will handle Fisher’s passing, although Lucasfilm has dismissed reports that she will appear through previously shot footage or a digital recreation.
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Star Wars: The Last Jedi is set for release on December 15th and sees returning cast members Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), Daisy Ridley (Rey), John Boyega (Finn), Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron), Lupita Nyong’o (Maz Kanata), Domhnall Gleeson (General Hux), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Gwendoline Christie (Captain Phasma), Billie Lourd (Lieutenant Connix), Andy Serkis (Supreme Leader Snoke), Peter Mayhew and Joonas Suotamo (Chewbacca), Tim Rose (Admiral Ackbar), Mike Quinn (Nien Nunb), Simon Pegg (Unkar Plutt), and Warwick Davis joined by new additions Jimmy Vee (Pan) as R2-D2, Kelly Marie Tran (Ladies Like Us) as Rose, and Benicio Del Toro (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Laura Dern (Jurassic Park).
Originally published May 25, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
