Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has revealed that the original plan for an intense scene recently teased by Oscar Isaac.

Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed that Fisher's last performance as Leia essentially started from scratch, and now it's been revealed why that is. Initially, Leia was going to be a major part of the sequel trilogy finale.

In Vanity Fair's preview of the blockbuster (hat tip CBR), Kennedy recalled a conversation she had with Fisher once she finished filming her Episode VIII scenes, saying Episode IX would have been more Leia-centric than the others:

“She was having a blast. The minute she finished, she grabbed me and said, ‘I’d better be at the forefront of IX!’ Because Harrison was front and center on VII, and Mark is front and center on VIII. She thought IX would be her movie. And it would have been.”

With Star Trek Beyond tastefully integrated the ing of Leonard Nimoy into the story, making it an emotional plot point for Zachary Quinto's Spock. In the likely event General Leia receives an off-screen death in Episode IX's first act, the other characters could rally in her memory, using her guidance and principles to fuel one final victory over the First Order. That way, Leia's influence is still felt in the movie, even though she's not physically in it herself.

No matter what Disney and Lucasfilm do for Episode IX, fans can take solace in the knowledge that Fisher's turn in The Last Jedi operates as a testament to her talents and she's not in the film simply for the sake of nostalgia. From the sound of things, Leia is going to have a significant role in Star Wars 8, so it should be a fitting and emotional sendoff for the legend. It's heartbreaking that Fisher is no longer with us, and audiences will surely cherish whatever memorable Leia moments await when Last Jedi premieres in December.

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Source: Vanity Fair (hat tip CBR)