Leia was there for the beginning of the Star Wars saga in 1977, and it's only natural she'll be there when Episode 9 comes out in 2019.

Although actress Carrie Fisher died in December 2016, she had already completed filming her scenes for "The Last Jedi," which opens December 15, 2017. That leaves only the question of the yet-unnamed Episode 9.

But on Thursday, Fisher's brother Todd told the New York Daily News that he and Billie Lourd, Carrie Fisher's daughter, have granted permission for recent footage of Fisher to be used in the final film. The exact nature of the footage isn't specified.

In January, Lucasfilm said the studio had no plans to digitally re-create Fisher for future films.

"Both of us were like, 'Yes, how do you take her out of it?' And the answer is you don't," Todd Fisher told the newspaper.

Fisher even had a fitting Star Wars analogy for the decision.

"She's as much a part of it as anything and I think her presence now is even more powerful than it was, like Obi Wan -- when the saber cuts him down he becomes more powerful," he said. "I feel like that's what's happened with Carrie. I think the legacy should continue."

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