Though Leia Organa is confirmed to return for Star Wars: Episode IX, there are obviously serious limitations on how much can be done with the character, seeing how J.J. Abrams is relying on unused footage of the late Carrie Fisher from the current trilogy’s first two movies. And while the return of Grand Moff Tarkin in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has demonstrated that digital technology is capable of doing wondrous things with old characters, the backlash received by this moment seems to have convinced Lucasfilm to give such trickery a rest.
That being said, though this latest report relayed by Express.co.uk may turn out to be little more than empty rumor, it does offer one suggestion for the kind of scenes that Leia could be given in next year’s trilogy closer. According this leaked description, a presumably rotoscoped Fisher shares the screen with Maz Kanata, C-3PO and R2-D2 on a planet that’s been compared to Tatooine, Jakku, and somehow Endor as well. Here, she’s witnessed holding and examining the Skywalker lightsaber, and even wields it in “a Jedi-like stance,” before activating the weapon and pointing it towards a nearby war-torn city.
As usual, this rumor should be taken for the hearsay it is, but if this is little more than a fan’s prediction, then it’s not a bad guess for the sort of part Leia could play in the action, suggesting she’ll act as more of a guide and a strategist overseeing the battle than an active participant in the fight.
Either way, we’ll find out if Abrams can give Fisher’s character a fitting and tasteful sendoff when Star Wars: Episode IX hits theaters on December 20th, 2019.