Star Wars: Disney hints Samuel L Jackson’s Mace Windu could return to series

Official Star Wars Instagram account appeared to tease comeback

Disney have dropped a major hint that Samuel L Jackson’s popular Star Wars character, Mace Windu, could be set to return to the franchise.

The character, a Jedi master of considerable power, was seemingly killed off during the events of Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. 

The recent second season of the Disney+ Star Wars spin-off The Mandalorian promised fans that a Jedi would feature after being summoned by Grogu (known to many viewers as Baby Yoda).

Before the Jedi was revealed to be Luke Skywalker, speculation was rife that the returning character would in fact be Mace Windu.

While the Mandalorian appearance was not to be, a new social media post on the official Star Wars account has seemed to allude to a possible Mace Windu project in the works.

Sharing a post to mark Jackson’s 72nd birthday earlier this week, the Star Wars Instagram account wrote: “The party isn't over, it's just beginning! Sending a very happy birthday to Samuel L Jackson.”

The comment is a reference to a line spoken by Windu in Attack of the Clones, in which he tells Jango Fett: “The party is over.”

While there’s no way of knowing whether the post was simply a coy way of celebrating Jackson’s birthday, or a hint at some future return, the franchise has already proved itself more than willing to revive seemingly dead characters.

Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) made an appearance in the recent season of The Mandalorian, despite appearing to die in Return of the Jedi, and will be at the centre of his own spin-off series, The Book of Boba Fett, released on Disney+ around Christmas next year.

The Book of Boba Fett is one of many Star Wars projects currently in the works. Others include an Obi-Wan Kenobi series starring Ewan McGregor, and two other Mandalorian spin-offs, Ahsoka and Rangers of the New Republic.

For his part, Jackson has repeatedly said that he would be willing to return to the role of Mace Windu, telling Stephen Colbert: “I’d really love to give one more run at Mace Windu in Star Wars.”