DEBUNKED: No, Samuel L. Jackson Is Not Returning As Mace Windu, Even If We Think He Should

As much as the Star Wars fans would love to see Samuel L. Jackson reprise his role as the beloved Mace Windu in the upcoming Star Wars shows or movies, it is unlikely. 

Samuel L. Jackson’s birthday was December 21, and a comment by the official Star Wars Instagram account wished Jackson a Happy Birthday with a rather peculiar message that had fans buzzing about what it meant. 

The message reads:

“The party isn’t over, it’s just beginning! Sending a very happy birthday to Samuel L. Jackson."

While this message is clearly referencing Mace Windu’s iconic line from Attack on the Clones when he confronts Count Dooku and Jango Fett, “This party is over,” it did have fans questioning exactly what it was that the official Star Wars Instagram was saying. 

And one of those theories was that Samuel L. Jackson would return to the Star Wars universe as Mace Windu again. Since The Mandalorian has brought back several iconic characters including Boba Fet,t who was long thought to be dead, many fans started saying that the characters in Star Wars never really die, and they will all show back up again after a while. After Lucasfilm surprised fans with Maul, Palpatine, and Boba Fett still being alive in canon after their supposed deaths, there is no wonder that that is being said. 

One of the theories is that Mace Windu could be seen in the new Obi-Wan Kenobi series set to release on Disney+. After Lucasfilm/Disney’s announcement that Hayden Christensen will be reprising his role as Darth Vader in the series, it is natural that some fans are saying that Mace Windu could be a part of it as well. 

But, Lucasfilm has not confirmed this, and there has been no confirmation from either them or Samuel L. Jackson himself saying that he is going to return to the Star Wars universe, even though the message from the official Star Wars Instagram does seem to be a veiled message. Many things for different movies and shows have been leaked or announced on social media through little comments such as this one, so it is plausible. 

In 2016, Samuel L. Jackson had an interview with Entertainment Weekly where he said his thoughts on Mace Windu’s fate at the end of Revenge of the Sith. It isn’t canon…yet. 

"Of course [Mace Windu] is still alive! Jedi can fall from amazing distances. And there's a long history of one-handed Jedi. So why not?... Only George [Lucas knows about the theory regarding Windu's fate]. But George doesn't have anything to do with [Star Wars] anymore. George is like, 'I'm okay with that. You can be alive."

So, who knows, perhaps Mace Windu did survive, and he will return to the universe. 

Lucasfilm/Disney sure seem to be in the mood for having previous characters return to the Star Wars universe with appearances made in The Mandalorian: Boba Fett, Bo-Katan Kryze, Ahsoka Tano, and most notably Luke Skywalker. Ahsoka Tano and Boba Fett are already confirmed to have their own TV shows on Disney+, as well as Obi-Wan Kenobi. 

While it is unlikely that Mace Windu would make an appearance in The Mandalorian season 3, it could be likely that, if Lucasfilm is bringing him back, he would make an appearance in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. This would be the most logical place for a cameo like this to take place. Perhaps he could show up as a rogue Jedi sorts of like Ahsoka. The Obi-Wan Kenobi series is set 10 years after the events in Revenge of the Sith and sheds light on Obi-Wan’s life on Tatooine after all hell broke loose in the galaxy. 

One of the theories is that if Samuel L. Jackson were to return as Mace Windu in the Obi-Wan series or another series, it could be in the form of a flashback, not really bringing the character back in real time. Especially with the Obi-Wan series, there could be Clone Wars flashbacks, etc. 

Another theory is that Mace Windu may appear farther down the timeline, closer to the Boba Fett series to perhaps give Boba Fett a chance to try to avenge his father. 

These are all theories that have sprung up around the birthday message posted on Samuel L. Jackson’s Instagram. It remains to be seen whether any of them may come true. There is no confirmation as of yet from anyone as to whether or not Samuel L. Jackson will be reprising his role as Mace Windu any time soon or at all in the new Star Wars stories. 

Source(s): IGN