The Star Wars story incorporates a lot of things. Lightsabers, spaceships, and even Baby Yodas all highlight just how vast and intricate that legendary galaxy so far, far away truly is. One other element that has been prevalent throughout the franchise's near-50-year run is death.
Death is inevitable in the Star Wars franchise, as some of the saga's most beloved characters have met their end at the hands of some of the galaxy's most treacherous villains. The question is: Could any of them ever return from the dead?
In a film series like Star Wars, absolutely. We've already seen multiple characters return in recent years thanks to the various Disney Plus shows. Boba Fett is a perfect example of this, as it was heavily implied that this character had once died. But there he was by The Mandalorian's side just a few short years ago.
And now, one Star Wars legend is determined to get his character to return, telling people that he's not dead. Even one of the franchise's most beloved directors is trying to make it happen.
Samuel L. Jackson's potential Star Wars return as Mace Windu has been talked about at Lucasfilm
As reported by The Direct, there have been conversations about bringing Samuel L. Jackson's Mace Windu back to the Star Wars universe. The report highlights a recent interview from Star Wars director Bryce Dallas Howard on The Happy Sad Confused Podcast with Josh Horowitz, in which the subject of Jackson's potential return comes up.
Howard revealed that Jackson was one of the people who were most supportive of her as a director on The Mandalorian and that he told her that he would love to work in a Star Wars project that she directs:
"Sam Jackson has been incredibly supportive of me and has told me many times that he would act in something that I directed, which is, like, I'm not worthy, basically."
Understandably, Howard is extremely excited by this prospect and revealed that she "went straight to Dave Filoni to see if there was a way that they could bring the dearly-departed Mace Windu back to screens. She even questioned whether he really died at all, saying:
"And then I went straight to Dave Filoni and I was like, 'So, let's just talk about Mace Windu and where he is. Can we just talk about this? Because, is he dead? Is he?'"
The character was a big presence in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, serving as one of the main characters of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace in 1999, sequel Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones in 2002, and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith in 2005. The last of those three films saw the character seemingly die, but Jackson doesn't believe that he is dead.
In an interview with Empire Magazine last year, the actor remained steadfast in his argument, saying "HE'S NOT DEAD!". He also suggested that the character could have taken notes from Obi-Wan Kenobi in that everyone in the franchise just believes he's dead but that he's really moving through the shadows, simply waiting for a comeback.
With Bryce Dallas Howard fighting for the character's return behind-the-scenes, we might finally see Jackson get the chance to reprise his role at some point in the future. The actress has become a major figure in the franchise over the past few years, directing episodes of The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. Fans have been longing to see her direct a movie within the franchise. Here's hoping that, if it happens, it could involve Mace Windu.
Samuel L. Jackson is a legend of Hollywood, known for his appearances in so many different movies and franchises. To some, he's the always-present Nick Fury of the Marvel Cinematic Universe reaching out to Avengers for help with larger-than-life threats. To others, he's the lightsaber-wielding Mace Windu they've been longing to see return. To all, however, he is an icon. Let's just hope that this icon gets the chance to make his presence felt in the Star Wars universe all over again. It's been too long.
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