Star Wars: Episode IX is bringing back Princess Leia, which actor Oscar Isaac says is done in a "beautiful way". Played by actress Carrie Fisher, Leia was one of the main characters in the original Star Wars trilogy. Her story began in A New Hope after being captured by Darth Vader. While her character was seen as a damsel in distress for the beginning of the film, her character quickly grew to be a formidable fighter and a strong feminist icon. Fisher also returned for the sequel trilogy, only she dropped her royal title and became a General for the Resistance.
Fisher sadly passed away in December 2016, a year prior to Star Wars: The Last Jedi being released. Even though her death didn't interfere with her character arc in The Last Jedi, many were wondering how and if J.J. Abrams would bring Leia back for Episode IX. It was announced back in July that Leia would indeed be included in Episode IX, by using deleted footage from The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. Isaac, who plays the character Poe Dameron in the sequel trilogy, previously mentioned that he was happy that Leia would be brought back for Episode IX, and the actor has now spoken again about her appearance in the film.
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When talking with The Daily Beast about Star Wars: Episode IX, Isaac opened up about Fisher and the impact she is still having on the set even though she's gone. Isaac spoke about not having Fisher on set saying, "It’s a strange thing to be on the set and to be speaking of Leia and having Carrie not be around. There’s definitely some pain in that". While the cast and crew are no doubt feeling sorrow that Fisher can't be part of the filmmaking process, Isaac also mentioned that the film, "deals with the amazing character that Carrie created in a really beautiful way".
While Leia appeared in The Force Awakens, the film was more about giving the character Han Solo a proper send-off. Likewise, The Last Jedi killed off Luke Skywalker by having him sacrifice himself to save the Resistance. That being said, Leia also had a big role in The Last Jedi, and fans got to see her use the Force for the first time. Episode IX will likely give Leia a proper send off, much like The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi did for Han and Luke, while also reportedly being a "course correction" for the Star Wars films.
Given that Episode IX is the last movie in the Skywalker saga, it seems incredibly unlikely that Leia will make another appearance in the Star Wars live-action universe. While director Rian Johnson could have easily killed off Leia in The Last Jedi, it's admirable that Abrams is trying to give the character a proper exit onscreen, rather than just saying the character died in some battle fans will never get to see. No matter how Leia's story is tied up in Star Wars: Episode IX, it will likely be a tear-jerker for fans.
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Source: The Daily Beast
