Following the sad passing of Carrie Fisher, there was some speculation circulating last week on just how Lucasfilm would address Fisher’s passing in Colin Trevorrow’s Star Wars: Episode IX. With Fisher’s Leia due to have a significant role in the film, there was talk that we may see a body double used, that we could see a digital Leia, or that even some recasting of the role may take place. Well, Lucasfilm has moved to rule out one of those possibilities.

In an official statement, the chances of seeing a digitally-created Leia have been ruled out:

We don’t normally respond to fan or press speculation, but there is a rumour circulating that we would like to address. We want to assure our fans that Lucasfilm has no plans to digitally recreate Carrie Fisher’s performance as Princess or General Leia Organa.

Carrie Fisher was, is, and always will be a part of the Lucasfilm family. She was our princess, our general, and more importantly, our friend. We are still hurting from her loss. We cherish her memory and legacy as Princess Leia, and will always strive to honour everything she gave to Star Wars.

Of course, this comes on the heels of a younger Leia being digitally put together for a short cameo in Gareth Edwards’ Rogue One. Where Episode IX is concerned, though, don’t expect to see anything similar.

If you ask us, we’d imagine that rewrites will take place in order to write the Leia character out of the picture by the time Episode IX comes around. Carrie Fisher had already shot all of her scenes for this year’s Episode VIII, and her role in that film was said to be vastly bigger than in 2015’s The Force Awakens. The plan was then for Leia to have an ever bigger role still in Episode IX. Obviously that’s now left Lucasfilm and Disney with a major issue that they somehow need to address. It could be that tweaks are made to Episode VIII in order to write the character out, but we’ll just have to wait and see how this all plays out.

Star Wars: Episode VIII, directed by Rian Johnson, is released on December 15th, with Episode IX to follow on May 23rd, 2019.