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20 years later, Samuel L. Jackson is still holding out hope that his Star Wars character, the formidable Mace Windu, is still kicking around somewhere in a galaxy far, far away. At least, that seemed to be the case when the actor showed up at an anniversary screening of Revenge of the Sith in Los Angeles last week. In front of a packed theater and beside his castmate Hayden Christenson, Jackson proudly declared, “Mace lives!” 

Hayden Christensen greeted fans on stage at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on April 25, 2025 ahead of the 20th anniversary screening of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, but he was interrupted before the movie could start by Samuel L. Jackson. “This is so, so, so awesome,” he said as the crowd cheered his arrival.

“Twenty years later, I can hardly believe that we’re still as popular – as happenin’ – as we are. I haven’t seen Hayden in a while, but so, so, so happy to come back, see him, and see all of you at the same time… I hope you enjoy the effort that went into this and watching me do my ‘I move almost all backwards’ fight with Palpatine. Before my unexpected exit. And, for the record – Mace lives!”

That is a pretty bold declaration, considering the last time we saw Mace Windu he was on the receiving end of Force Lightning and was being flung out of a very high window. So, Samuel L. Jackson’s claim that Mace Windu is alive is a bold one. However, the actor has made it clear that he would be up for bringing Windu back for a movie or a Disney+ series. So, if he says Mace Windu is out there alive and kicking in the Star Wars universe, we believe him. After all, if Darth Vader can come back for Ahsoka, then anything is possible.

Get to know, understand, and love the Star Wars franchise more with our Star Wars watch order, guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies & TV shows, and all the Star Wars movies and Star Wars TV shows ranked.