Oscar Isaac Says ‘Star Wars: Episode IX’ Deals With Carrie Fisher’s Leia in a Beautiful Way

The Skywalker Saga of Star Wars films still has one final chapter left to be told, which will arrive in theaters next December in the form of the J.J. Abrams-directed Episode IX. The film will put a bow on the entire story of the Skywalker family, but will need to do so without one of the franchise’s most important characters, General Leia, as star Carrie Fisher passed away before filming began.

Still, Fisher is far from gone, as her legacy is woven into the fabric of the entire Star Wars mythos, and the upcoming final film will find a way to say goodbye to her beloved character.

Oscar Isaac, who plays Poe Dameron in the newest Star Wars trilogy, recently spoke to The Daily Beast about his experience filming Episode IX without Fisher, who he shared quite a bit of screen time with in The Last Jedi.

“The story deals with that quite a bit,” he said of Fisher’s passing. “It’s a strange thing to be on the set and to be speaking of Leia and having Carrie not be around. There’s definitely some pain in that.”

Isaac goes on to say that, despite losing Fisher, there is still a very fun-loving, joyous vibe on the set, as the cast and crew realize that they are about to cross the finish line.

“There’s a looseness and an energy to the way that we’re shooting this that feels very different,” the actor added. “It’s been really fun being back with J.J., with all of us working in a really close way. I just feel like there’s an element of almost senioritis, you know? Since everything just feels way looser and people aren’t taking it quite as seriously, but still just having a lot of fun. I think that that energy is gonna translate to a really great movie.”

Before changing the subject, Isaac made sure to reiterate once more that Fisher’s presence will be felt throughout the entire movie. “It deals with the amazing character that Carrie created in a really beautiful way.”

How do you think Episode IX will deal with the legacy of General Leia? Will it be difficult to go see the final film without Fisher? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Star Wars: Episode IX is set to arrive in theaters on December 20, 2019.