It’s official: Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher are going to be in Star Wars: Episode IX, as the saga that bares their characters’ family name comes to a close.
StarWars.com lists the pair as returning cast members for the final film in the Skywalker saga, which reaches its climax 2019.
The return of the dearly, dearly departed Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia is confirmed following comments from J.J. Abrams, who’ll direct Episode IX after regaining the reins from Rian Johnson.
Rather than using an digital solution as with Rogue One wasn’t on the table so previously unreleased footage shot by Abrams during the filming of The Force Awakens will form the basis of the scenes.
“We desperately loved Carrie Fisher,” Abrams said. “Finding a truly satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga without her eluded us. We were never going to recast, or use a CG character. With the support and blessing from her daughter, Billie, we have found a way to honor Carrie’s legacy and role as Leia in Episode IX by using unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII.”
Related: Did Star Wars: The Last Jedi suck?
The return of Hamill as Luke Skywalker – THE LAST JEDI SPOILERS AHEAD FOR ROCK DWELLING FOLKS – will probably be in the form of a force ghost following his demise at the end of The Last Jedi.
We’d envision him popping up to to give Rey a pep-talk during a moment of ontological insecurity, as Yoga and Obi-Wan often did during Luke’s own moments of strife. However, it could also be via flashback scenes based upon his previous experiences with Rey, or his troubled nephew Kylo Ren.
Luke and Leia will, of course, join their old foe/friend Lando Calrissian, as Billy Dee Williams returns to the cast. Other returning cast members include Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Anthony Daniels, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie Fisher’s daughter Billie Lourd.
What do you believe would be a fitting send-off for cinema’s most iconic female character? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
