Star Wars: What Is Leia's Role In Episode 9?
3. Leia's Original Role In Episode IX
This entry contains details of a rumoured early storyboard for Episode IX, so - although Colin Trevorrow is no longer on the project - there could be potential spoilers.
As the old guard of Star Wars goes, Episode VII was centred around Harrison Ford's Han Solo, and Episode VIII around Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker. Episode IX, then, was going to be Carrie Fisher's movie, with Leia's arc in The Last Jedi very much setting that up. So we know, at the very least, that Leia would've been hugely important to 9, although even with repurposed footage that can't quite be the case now.
For Episode IX, the other thing we have to go on is the leak of storyboard details from Colin Trevorrow's first draft, which was written before Fisher died. Courtesy of Redditor FOOSLS, the leak - which is obviously unsubstantiated - has the following details regarding Leia's role:
"Rey, Poe, Finn, and Leia are all still holding fast to the idea the galaxy should not be under empirical rule. They are tipped off by a mole inside the First Order promising that if they follow their lead, they will discover the horrifying true nature of the First Order. The tip leads them to a planet in the unknown regions, and they must infiltrate a First Order command station to extract a young female alien prodigy who is the key to navigating these regions.
"After a successful rescue of the girl who is essentially a prisoner of the First Order, they discover a planet entirely comprised of an ocean. Beneath its waters is the secret to the First Order’s unlimited resources, an ancient manufacturing station literally powered by the populations of conquered worlds of the unknown regions."
That's described as the A plot of the movie, which would fit with Leia having a central role, but given Abrams has written his own version of the script, it's hard to imagine too much of this remaining. What is almost certain, though, is that we'll see Leia remaining in position as a leader of the Resistance and helping to take down the First Order, but without her being at the forefront - although she can still be the heart of the movie.