Carrie Fisher *will* appear as Leia in Star Wars 9 – but not through CGI

Although Star Wars 9 is still a couple of years out, many have speculated as to whether Carrie Fisher – in the wake of her untimely death last year – will be reprising her role as General Leia Organa in the final episode of the new trilogy. And now we have the answer: yes (but not in the way you might expect).

According to New York Daily News, Fisher’s family and estate have given permission to Lucasfilm and Disney to use unused footage of Carrie as Leia in Star Wars 9.

Moving ahead in Star Wars without Carrie Fisher has been on the table for some time (possible spoilers about Carrie Fisher’s future role within) but it seems a decision has finally been made.

It’s refreshing to see Lucasfilm didn’t go down the obvious Star Wars: Rogue One route of creating (another) CGI Leia, but it’ll be interesting to see just what footage left on the cutting room floor gets another lease of life in Star Wars 9. Don’t expect a Bruce Lee/Game of Death-style mishmash, that’s for sure.

What could Leia’s role end up being? Archive footage from the original trilogy through a hologram wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world. Neither would a brief cameo or voice clip. This is all depending on what goes down in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, though it sounds like Leia may at least survive the next movie.

Either way, it’ll be nice to see Princess Leia getting the send-off she deserves – and there won’t be a dry eye in the house.

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.