Carrie Fisher's 'Star Wars' swan song will hopefully be fitting

Star Wars fans got a surprising bit of news this week from the late Carrie Fisher's brother. He revealed that this sister, who died suddenly last year, would not only be appearing in The Last Jedi (due out later this year) but also the still untitled Episode IX, which will complete this new trilogy of movies.

What is even more surprising, especially in light of Rogue One's controversial but I thought effective use of special effects to bring Peter Cushing back from the dead and to render a younger Princess Leia, apparently Fisher's performance will be without the aid of technical enhancement.

This comes as a shock -- but a welcome one. Apparently Carrie Fisher completed work on not just The Last Jedi, but at the very least shot some scenes for the the follow-up film.

Therefore, for those of who wanted to see her deliver fully realized on-screen performances in her most iconic role, one last time, this is huge and welcome news.

Now, so much about the new trilogy is shrouded in mystery. The Force Awakens was immensely satisfying, but like many Star Wars films, it left many unanswered questions and cliffhangers in the minds of audiences. Who are Rey's parents? What has Luke been up to all this time? Where's Lando? I could go and on.

Carrie Fisher, I felt, was not used enough. Now, Mark Hamill only appeared in the final shot of the film, and didn't utter word, so this is all relative. But I do hope that in the ensuing films Princess Leia-now-General Leia, would have more to do.

Seeing as she will be starting The Last Jedi not only estranged from her twin brother but effectively widowed due to the loss of her longtime love and companion Han Solo, she should have a lot of powerful notes to play.

I've always thought he character's arc over the first trilogy is one of the coolest and most underrated. She went from someone who was being rescued to someone doing the rescuing, and if Return of the Jedi is be believed, she was at least starting to get in touch with her own innate abilities when it came to the force.

The Force Awakens didn't address that at all, and perhaps the new films won't either, but I think whatever she does will have even more weight and power now, especially since, tragically, we know that we have already lost Fisher, a groundbreaking writer and feminist hero.

It's hard not to feel emotional about this stuff. The premature death of Heath Ledger leant even more power and mystery to his off-the-charts performance in The Dark Knight. Even the death of Paul Walker, made the last Fast & Furious movie feel like more than the sum of its parts.

Star Wars is probably always going to have a rabid, built-in fanbase, especially now that the product is starting to consistently live up the hype.

But Carrie Fisher is not someone who can be easily replaced and she had an authenticity which no CGI slight of hand could capture. I for one loved the little cameo in Rogue One, but it's a cute button, a note of uplift, and that's all.

There can only be one Princess Leia, and while she may have passed away, she'll be preserved for two more movies.