Star Wars: John Boyega Confirms Princess Leia Won't Be Killed Off
Expect an "amazing, amazing" send-off.
Since the sad passing of Carrie Fisher, the question of what Star Wars would be doing with General Organa and how they'd tie up her story has been a particularly pressing issue. They were - rather notoriously - faced with the option of reviving Fisher using CGI to film Episode IX, killing the character somehow or going for a similar approach to the Fast & Furious franchise's handling of Paul Walker's death.
The specifics of their choice have so far been kept under wraps, though there have been suggestions that the same CGI that was used for Peter Cushing's post-mortem appearance in Rogue One would absolutely not be entertained. So it makes sense that Episode VIII would be a farewell to the character either way.
John Boyega has effectively confirmed that the film will say goodbye to Leia perfectly, and his words seem to suggest that she won't be killed off. He was speaking on Popcorn with Peter Travers and was asked about his working relationship with Fisher, where he seemed to let something slip:
"This movie, it sends her off in a very amazing, amazing way. She’s still kept alive in this franchise. You know, that’s the beauty of it, she lives forever in a sense."
That certainly seems that the character won't be killed off, despite the initial plan to have her role expanded in Episode IX, and it is hugely intriguing to consider how LucasFilm will now retire her, particularly with The Last Jedi already filmed when she died.
Since Episode IX has just found a new writer, there's a possibility that they won't deal with her departure fully in The Last Jedi at all and that the story is being redeveloped with that consciously in mind. It all makes for interesting speculation.
Here's Boyega's interview in full...
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