We are but a few short weeks away from the arrival of Rian Johnson's Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Once that highly anticipated film debuts, Star Wars fans who are eager and excited to learn answers to question posed by Star Wars: The Force Awakens will hopefully be satisfied. But one such question that has less to do with the narrative of the Skywalker Saga and more to do with the sad and unfortunate passing of Carrie Fisher is just what will become of her iconic character, General Leia.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi will be Fisher's last Star Wars movie following her passing nearly a year ago on December 27, 2016. However, one slight silver lining for Star Wars fans is that Leia's story will appear in Star Wars: The Last Jedi as it was always intended, unaffected by Fisher's death. Reality will eventually catch up to the fictional worlds of a galaxy far, far away when J.J. Abrams takes the reins for Star Wars: Episode IX, due out December 20, 2019, in which the director and his creative team will have to bring Leia's story to a close. But before then, Leia's fate is in the hands of Johnson & Co.
In a Rolling Stone piece on Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Johnson confirms that Fisher's performance and Leia's story will remain intact despite the iconic actor's passing:
"We didn't end up changing a thing. Luckily, we had a totally complete performance from her."
Johnson had reportedly grown close with Fisher during the course of the film's production. "You got to experience a little bit of that magical sphere that she created," Johnson said. "I'm happy I got to poke my head into that, briefly, and know her even a little bit." It's surely a relationship he'll appreciate for the rest of his career, despite how short a time they spent together. And for the rest of us, we have her fantastic performances available to watch over and over again, with at least one more to come.
So what has Abrams said about dealing with Fisher's absence and Leia's conclusion?
It's a sad reality. In terms of going forward ... time will tell what ends up getting done."
Luckily, we'll be able to enjoy Fisher's final performance as General Leia in The Last Jedi later this month. The hard truth of her passing will be felt afresh in 2019 when Leia's absence is eventually explained. Feel free to share your thoughts, feelings, and hopes related to Leia's fate in the comments below!
And for more on Star Wars: The Last Jedi, be sure to get caught up with our recent write-ups:
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- Watch: ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Director Rian Johnson Answers Burning Fan Questions
- ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Tracking to Open Over $200 Million
- ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’: Andy Serkis on What Drives Supreme Leader Snoke
- Things to Know about Disney’s Hollywood Studios ‘Star Wars’ Guided Tour