Star Wars: The Last Jedi director hopes to give fans "emotional satisfaction" through Carrie Fisher's last appearance

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The late Carrie Fisher will not appear in Star Wars 9, which means it's the unexpected burden of Star Wars: The Last Jedi to bid farewell to one of the series' most important personalities. Director Rian Johnson was previously quoted as saying that the story of Leia "wraps up nicely" in the upcoming film and Good Morning America asked him to clarify what he meant by that.

"Well, I guess that sounds a little definitive," Johnson admitted. "I'll say I think that Carrie gives a really beautiful performance in the film, and we obviously didn't make the movie to be her final film - her final Star Wars movie. Given that, though, I think there are scenes that she has that are gonna mean a lot to people. And there are scenes that we have with her where, now, not having her around, I watch them and I think I'm just really thankful that we have that and we can give that to people.

"So, yeah, wraps up nicely? I don't know. But emotionally gives some kind of catharsis, it gives some kind of emotional satisfaction? I think so. I really hope so. I know for me it does." I hope so too, Mr. Johnson, and I really don't envy your position. Suddenly being responsible for the last major appearance of Leia would be enough to give me stomach ulcers, but maybe that's why I'm not a director. Also because I'd just play with the clapboard all day when I'm supposed to be shooting.

Read our Star Wars: The Last Jedi info article to find out everything we know about the movie so far and check out all the new Star Wars: The Last Jedi footage that debuted at D23.

Image: Disney/Lucasfilm

Connor Sheridan
Connor Sheridan

I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and was formerly a staff writer at GamesRadar.