Samuel L. Jackson Asked Bryce Dallas Howard to Bring Mace Windu Back

The Skywalker Saga may be over, but we’re nowhere near finished with those stories in Star Wars. In just a few months the Sith Lord formerly known as Anakin Skywalker returns to face his best friend turned foe in Obi-Wan Kenobi. The upcoming Disney+ series reunites prequels stars Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen. Plus, a de-aged Mark Hamill recently appeared in both The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. The latter of which even stars Temuera Morrison, who played his Boba Fett character’s dad in the prequels. So suffice to say Star Wars alums are keeping pretty close to the galaxy far, far away. And it sounds like another Star Wars alum wants in. 

Samuel L. Jackson recently told Happy Sad Confused host Josh Horowitz at a live show at 92Y in New York that he asked Bryce Dallas Howard to revive Mace Windu for The Mandalorian.  (We saw this at CBR.) Samuel L. Jackson has long maintained that Mace Windu is out there, down a right hand, lurking about the galaxy. And he reiterated as much to Horowitz. But he shared that the only person he’d ever actually mentioned returning to the franchise to is Howard, his co-star in the upcoming film Argylle who has directed several episodes of the Star Wars shows on Disney+.

“There’s a huge history of people with one hand returning in Star Wars. The only person I’ve ever said that to about coming back was Bryce Dallas Howard, ’cause I just did a movie with her. And she directs episodes of The Mandalorian,” Jackson said.

He continued, sharing their exchange. According to his recollection, the Marvel actor asked Howard, ‘You think you might be able to hook a brother up? I mean you like me, right?’ She’s like, ‘I love you, you’re amazing!’ So, ‘Put me back in there… Put me in coach, I’m ready!’ You know, I’ll learn to lightsaber left-handed. Come on, hook me up.”

This certainly sounds like one of those “just kidding… unless…” situations.

You may be wondering, “Wait didn’t Mace Windu sort of famously die in Revenge of the Sith?” And yes, he’s generally considered dead. I mean, it was a pretty brutal death too: he was so close to killing Darth Sidious. But we never actually see a body. And this may be the biggest rule in cinema: are they really dead if we don’t see the body? George Lucas also believes Mace Windu is alive and out there.

Sure, Mace Windu winding up in The Mandalorian is a long shot—Samuel L. Jackson, while incredibly game, is a busy man. But it might make sense in the greater timeline. Obi-Wan Kenobi is set a decade after the prequel trilogy ends—and Windu’s presumed death. And given what we know about when The Mandalorian takes place in the timeline, that means the show takes place around 28 years after Windu’s death. Logistically, given the 17 year gap between the Revenge of the Sith‘s release, it all checks out. But what has Mace Windu been up to? Where’s he been all this time? 

Who knows, maybe we’ll see Mace Windu, a limited series following the Jedi in his exploits heading to Disney+ in 2023. One can always dream! I miss Mace Windu and his purple lightsaber. Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau, I hope you’re listening.