After the unexpected passing of Carrie Fisher back in 2016, many wondered whether the final installment of the Skywalker Saga would proceed without any inclusion of Fisher or Leia Organa.
It was a tough pill to swallow, seeing as any story surrounding the Skywalkers that doesn’t include Leia would just felt wrong. So when J.J. Abrams announced that he’d bring Leia back for one final adventure by way of unused footage originally shot from The Force Awakens, many of us got pretty emotional. It was a meaningful announcement for fans, but also for her space-brother and longtime co-star, Mark Hamill.
Hamill took to Twitter to express his feelings on what will likely be his final Star Wars film, and how he felt sharing the screen with Fisher one final time.
It’s bittersweet facing my final chapter without her-She is simply irreplaceable. I’m finding solace in the fact that she won’t BE replaced & would love the worldwide outpouring of affection from those who loved her when they heard the news.#CarrieOnForever pic.twitter.com/7ueMqBxQwa
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) July 29, 2018
Understandably, Hamill admits to finding the entire thing a bit bittersweet, but that he is ultimately happy that Fisher won’t be replaced onscreen (for a while there were rumors of recasting the role or using body doubles to digitally insert Fisher into the movie like they did for Rogue One). It’s unclear if Leia and Luke (who’ll most likely take the form of Force Ghost in Episode IX) will share any screen time together, but we are definitely share in Mark Hamill’s appreciation for the fact that Fisher herself will be included in this final installment in the Skywalker Saga.
Fisher was taken from us far too soon, and since her passing, General Organa’s continued presence onscreen has felt to many fans like a mystical way to keep her close to us. Both Fisher and General Organa were, still are, and will always be role models to so many of us, and it’s wonderful that we’ll get to see her one last time in Episode IX.
Tell us how you feel about Mark’s sweet tweet and JJ Abrams choosing to include Carrie Fisher in Episode IX in the comments!
Feature Image: Disney/Lucasfilm
