Leia Wields the Lightsaber in New Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker TV Spot
After four decades, more than ten movies, and countless episodes of television shows, novels, and [...]
After four decades, more than ten movies, and countless episodes of television shows, novels, and comic books, the Skywalker Saga is finally coming to an end with the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. And while heroes like Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron will be in the spotlight in their last stand against the First Order, they'll also get some help from legacy characters including C-3PO, Chewbacca, and General Leia Organa. And as revealed in the latest TV spot for the film, the franchise will finally grant fans' wishes when it comes to Leia wielding a legendary Jedi weapon.
The latest promo for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker shows Leia holding a lightsaber, possibly lending truth to rumors that fans will get to see her character training as a Jedi before Kylo Ren came into the picture. Check out the scene in the video player above!
Almost every Star Wars fan is likely aware that this is a post-humous appearance for Carrie Fisher as Leia, as the actress died nearly a year after the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Her appearance in the final film of the sequel trilogy is made possible because of previous footage that was cut from both Star Wars: The Last Jedi and The Force Awakens.
While a digitally de-aged version of her character appeared in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, filmmaker J.J. Abrams decided against reusing this tactic after Fisher's death in an effort of keeping her role in the film as authentic as possible.
"We knew there was no way we could finish this Skywalker saga without Leia, it was impossible," Abrams explained on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. "We knee we would never want to do a digital Leia, and of course couldn't recast it, and then I remembered we had these scenes that we'd shot for Force Awakens that we'd never used. Which at the time I was really upset that we weren't using them because it was Carrie and it was Leia and how do you not use them, but it just didn't work in the movie. And weirdly those scenes were material that we 100% realized could be used to tell her story in this film, so every time you're seeing Leia in scenes with (other) characters, it's Carrie in this movie. I still can't quite believe that she's gone because we've been working on these scenes in editorial and she's as there as anyone. It's really uncanny."
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premieres in theaters on December 20th.