Carrie Fisher

Mark Hamill will officially be back for ‘Star Wars: Episode IX,’ which will also include unseen footage of Carrie Fisher’s Leia.

And it’s just the cutest.

As with any get-together involving this cast, there was one noted absence.

There’s a lot to miss about the late, incomparably great Carrie Fisher: Her delightful screen presence, her sharp contributions to screenwriting, her brilliant wit and unapologetic candor, and her advocacy for those suffering from mental health problems and addiction. She was, for lack of a better word, a badass. And the legend of her awesomeness lives on through those who loved her, like Heather Ross — a screenwriter and friend of Fisher’s, who recently shared an amazing story about the time she was sexually harassed by a studio executive, and the artist occasionally known as Princess General Leia exacted revenge on her behalf.

While fans from around the world have gathered to share their love of Star Wars at this year’s Star Wars Celebration, there has been one sobering element to the festivities. The loss of Carrie Fisher has been felt at every level of the convention, from Thursday’s bittersweet memorial video put together by Lucasfilm to the sadness felt while Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson shared his behind-the-scenes footage from the set. And since this is a convention of all things Star Wars, fans have also speculated about the role the actress might play in the next film. Is there a place for Fisher in Star Wars: Episode 9?

The first trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi debuted this morning, and…wow, we’re gonna need a minute (or 20) to process, especially with Luke Skywalker’s suspenseful voiceover. We were promised we’d get to hear Mark Hamill speak, and speak he does — throughout most of the trailer, ending with a fairly chilling line: “It’s time for the Jedi to end.” But what does that mean?! Is Rey the eponymous last Jedi, or is Luke? That’s something we probably won’t know until December. For now, join us as we try to break it all down and take a closer look at the most thrilling (and possibly telling) moments with GIFs and screenshots from the trailer.

While we wait for the first teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which should be arriving in the next couple of months (more on that in a minute), some footage was recently screened for Disney shareholders. That footage won’t be released online, but one reporter in attendance was kind enough to share a few interesting details — it’s not much, but it should keep your spirits up until the first trailer debuts.

Unexpected deaths of actors who are part of huge ongoing franchises make things complicated. You want to pay your respects in a decent way, while also, in the best case scenario, keeping the rest of the series afloat without them. Carrie Fisher had finished shooting all of her scenes in Star Wars: Episode VIII before her death in December, but she still apparently has a pretty big role to play in the final installment. How will they keep the story going without actually having her in it? There’s a rumor going around that Disney is thinking of going the Tarkin route.

Without knowing the scope of Carrie Fisher’s role in the upcoming Star Wars sequels, it’s difficult to speculate about how Lucasfilm might address her recent passing. But a new report has uncovered key details (and potential spoilers) regarding General Leia’s narrative arc in Episodes VIII and IX, and reveals that Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy is planning to meet with director Colin Trevorrow next week to contemplate their options for Leia’s role in the forthcoming sequels.

We lost an incomparable actress, writer, icon, and amazing human being when Carrie Fisher passed away on December 27, 2016. No one is feeling that loss as deeply as those closest to her, and in the days since Fisher’s passing, we’ve had the privilege of reading and hearing some of their remembrances. Today, Mark Hamill has shared his own personal tribute to Fisher, offering a touching, humorous and appropriately candid essay for his Star Wars co-star and longtime friend.