The Star Wars community was dealt a major blow in December 2016 when Carrie Fisher tragically passed away. During pre-production on the film that would become Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Abrams devised a way to handle the Leia character. It would have been virtually impossible to imagine anyone else in the part, but the novel Star Wars: Legacy makes a strong argument for why Leia should have been recast for Episode IX. Star Wars: Legacy Tells the Rey and Leia Story We Always WantedStar Wars: Legacy takes place between the events of The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. As blasphemous as this might sound to some, Star Wars: Legacy make a compelling case for why Leia should have been recast in Episode IX.