Some folks just seem unable to let go of the character of Princess Leia, which I guess is understandable as she has been a part of the ‘Star Wars’ mythos for decades, and meant a lot to many of the fans over the years. Sadly though, with the passing of Carrie Fisher shortly after she finished shooting ‘The Last Jedi,’ the character of Leia has to be retired from the saga, as Lucasfilm has no plans to use CGI to bring Leia back to life, nor has announced any intention of “recasting” the role just to continue to franchise. However, some fans claim they have the perfect woman to take up the mantle of Princess Leia and have even started a petition over at Petition Site to get the ball rolling and show the support the idea has. They want Lucasfilm to cast Meryl Streep as General Leia for ‘Episode IX,’ claiming the woman’s friendship with Fisher, not to mention the fact that she once even portrayed Fisher in a movie, and her outstanding and immeasurable skill as an actress, make her the perfect choice to fill in for Fisher so Leia can have one last outing in ‘Star Wars,’ and get the proper send-off she rightfully deserves.
Of course, there are a lot of issues here. Asides from the fact that Streep does not seem the type to do big franchises (not to mention ‘Star Wars’), there is also the fact that Lucasfilm has most likely already moved on from their original plan of having ‘Episode IX’ be all about General Leia, as it has been over a year since Fisher’s untimely death and they had to move forward with the next chapter of the saga. Also, no matter how great Meryl Streep is, she simply would not be Carrie Fisher, who was Princess Leia, and imagining anyone else in that role almost feels sacrilegious for a ‘Star Wars’ fan. She had some powerful and moving moments in ‘The Last Jedi,’ and sure, she did not quite get the perfect send-off and exit from the franchise that we all would have wanted, but in some ways, isn’t it better that the character exit while still strong, forceful, and a symbol for good, rather than try to resurrect her with someone new and drag the whole thing through the inevitable social and media backlash that could tarnish the character and the legacy that Fisher left behind?
That’s my thoughts on the matter, but if you really want to see Streep in the role, head on over to the Petition Site and join the over 8,000 others (as of this writing) who have signed. Or go ahead and share your thoughts on the matter in the comments below!
Source: Cinemablend
