Rumors that Lucasfilm and Disney might enlist Meryl Streep to replace Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in the ninth Star Wars film have begun to circulate online—and no one is really sure how to feel about it.
After Fisher died in 2016, the franchise confirmed it did not plan to use motion capture or CGI to bring back Fisher for the ninth installment of the original series. It’s been unclear, however, whether it plans to recast Leia or write her off in between films.
While many fans would probably be OK with Leia dying off screen—keeping Fisher’s legacy intact—other fans have actually launched a petition in favor of Streep, saying they don’t want to see Leia written out of the upcoming episode. At press time, more than 8,400 people had signed the petition.
“As the fans of Star Wars and Carrie Fisher, we really want Leia to shine in Episode IX and we certainly do not want her to be written out of the film abruptly without a reasonable plot,” the petition said. “Therefore, recasting Leia is a more ideal option for us and we believe that Meryl Streep is an ideal candidate to play Leia. We strongly believed that she is the best hope for us to see the legacy of Carrie Fisher in Episode IX. May the force be with Carrie Fisher, Meryl Streep, and Princess Leia.”
Predictably, fans on Twitter have very strong opinions about the rumors.
https://twitter.com/TheCoffeeSnolf/status/979396691068534791?s=20
Not only no, but HELLLLLLLL NO. Stop it. You don't recast that role. Ever. https://t.co/maMyiW9KRw
— Allie Mac Kay (@alliemackay) March 29, 2018
THE LAST JEDI screwed up Star Wars so bad they are considering Meryl Streep to play Princess Leia.
— Zach (@TripleZ_87) March 31, 2018
If Meryl Streep “replaces” Carrie Fisher (not possible) in Star Wars I s2g I will lose my shit
— Nikki🤞 (@namc44) March 30, 2018
I can't believe a fan petition about Meryl Streep replacing Carrie Fisher in #StarWars #EpisodeIX could be considered a rumor. This is so wrong and it will never happen.
— SWNN (@StarWarsNewsNet) March 29, 2018
https://twitter.com/forcewielding/status/979892245544472576?s=20
Some fans want Meryl Streep to be cast as the new Princess Leia in Star Wars: Episode 9. Don’t like this idea at all because Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia is irreplaceable. Meryl Streep is a great actress but there’s no way she or anyone else can take this iconic role.
— Silent Wanderer (@117_RKW) March 30, 2018
I always have this thought that if they really wanted to keep Leia in for Star Wars IX they could just put makeup on Meryl Streep, and she would probably be able to do it 🤷🏼♂️ (not that that’s what we want), and you know what, she’d probably get an Oscar nod for it
— A Most Lawyerly James (@jkchart) March 21, 2018
Hearing Meryl Streep might Play Princess Leia in the next Star Wars. That would be so touching cause Carrie Fisher was her friend and so up for that ❤️ pic.twitter.com/WOCLMhC3vw
— Ｍａｒｉｅ 玛丽 ♡ 👽 (@MariePerrino) March 31, 2018
If the rumors are true, this actually wouldn’t be the first time viewers see Streep portray Fisher—she once played her in Postcards From the Edge. She was also reportedly good friends with Fisher.
These are just rumors and speculation, however, and no one in the franchise has hinted that the queen of Hollywood could portray the Princess of Alderaan in the future.