Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has commented several times (once back in April and then most recently in a Vanity Fair piece) on the role Carrie Fisher would have played in Episode IX. In an article posted over on CinemaBlend, Episode IX director Colin Trevorrow speaks briefly about what the process has been like developing the final film in the Sequel Trilogy now that our iconic princess has left us.
She was a major character, that’s not a secret. She really was. And it was extremely sad for all of us, mostly just because she was so loved by the Star Wars family and everyone that worked with her. I feel like our options are limited mostly by ourselves, in that there is only certain things that we are willing to do. But I can guarantee it will be handled with love and respect, and all of the soul that Carrie Fisher deserves.
Trevorrow also mentions during the interview that he could not say for sure exactly how much of the original script for Episode IX had to be changed due to Fisher’s passing. And sadly, he reveals in the article that he never had the opportunity to meet Fisher in person before she died.
