Lucasfilm has entered discussions to bring back Samuel L. Jackson as Jedi Master Mace Windu in the Star Wars universe, according to Star Wars director Bryce Dallas Howard. The revelation, shared during an interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, confirms that Howard pitched the idea of Windu’s return directly to Lucasfilm executive Dave Filoni, fueling hope among fans for the iconic character’s comeback.
Howard, known for directing episodes of The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, revealed that her conversations with Filoni centered on whether Windu could still be alive in the Star Wars timeline. “I went straight to Dave Filoni and was like, ‘So, let’s just talk about Mace Windu and where he is,’” Howard said, echoing fan speculation about Windu’s survival after his apparent death in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.
“Because is he dead?” Howard added. “Is he?”. She also cited Jackson’s enthusiasm for the role, noting that he has repeatedly expressed willingness to reprise Windu, even offering to “act in something [she] directed.”
Jackson, who portrayed the purple-lightsaber-wielding Jedi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, has long insisted that Windu survived his fall from a Coruscant skyscraper after being betrayed by Anakin Skywalker and blasted by Emperor Palpatine. The actor’s vocal advocacy, combined with Howard’s confirmed talks, suggests Lucasfilm is seriously considering options for Windu’s return, potentially in a Disney+ series like Ahsoka or a new project. Posts on X reflect the growing excitement, with fans rallying behind hashtags like #MaceWinduLives.
“Of course he is [alive]! Jedi can fall from amazing distances,” Jackson said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly back in 2016. “And there’s a long history of one-handed Jedi. So why not?” Jackson also revealed that Star Wars creator George Lucas, who sold Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012, gave the actor his blessing to retcon his character's death in Revenge of the Sith.
“George doesn’t have anything to do with [Star Wars] anymore,” Jackson shared back then. “George is like, ‘I’m okay with that. You can be alive.’”
Disney has kept Mace Windu's story alive with tales set before his presumed death in Revenge of the Sith. A 2017 Marvel comic, Star Wars: Mace Windu, a five-issue series, is set between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. A 2024 follow-up volume, a prequel to the prequels, takes place just before the Separatist movement and the Clone Wars. Additionally, Mace Windu appears in Marvel’s new Star Wars: Jedi Knights series, written by Marc Guggenheim (Star Wars: Yoda) and illustrated by Madibek Musabekov.
While no official project has been announced, Howard’s discussions with Filoni, a key figure in Star Wars storytelling, indicate that Windu’s return is under active consideration. The Star Wars franchise has a history of reviving fan-favorite characters, as seen with Ahsoka Tano and Boba Fett, making a Windu comeback plausible.
Whether as a Force ghost, a survivor of Order 66, or in a prequel-era story, Jackson’s potential return has sparked widespread anticipation. For now, fans await further word from Lucasfilm, but Howard’s confirmation of talks ensures that Windu’s legacy remains alive in the Star Wars universe.
