Unfortunately, the Star Wars prequels had a way of sucking all the charm and personality out of even the most talented and likeable of actors. At least, for the most part.
When it came to Samuel L. Jackson though, he emerged from the films relatively unscathed. Sure, his turn as Mace Windu was hampered by some rough dialogue, but the iconic character made a strong impression with fans and to this day, many people would still love to see him wield the purple lightsaber once again – Jackson included.
Whether it’ll ever happen or not, we can’t say just yet – and we wouldn’t hold our breath – but at the very least, folks will be pleased to know that Windu indeed has a cameo in The Rise of Skywalker. Although, it’s probably not exactly what fans were hoping for.
Just like with Anakin and several other iconic figures from the franchise’s past, it seems Windu’s cameo is voice-only. Or at least, that’s according to users on Reddit who’ve seen the film. And though we’ll have to wait until later this week to catch the cameo for ourselves, it sounds like it comes during Rey’s final battle with Palpatine when a number of recognizable voices speak to her and give her strength.
So, better than nothing but still not terribly exciting. Could Mace ever return in the flesh, though? Well, like we said above, it seems unlikely, but Jackson has hinted in the past that it could happen, saying the following as recently as the Star Wars Celebration 40th anniversary panel in 2017:
“I know you’re all in my corner on this. We all know Jedi can fall from incredible heights and survive, so apparently, I am not dead. Yes, I have two appendages right now, but we know the long and rich history of Star Wars characters reappearing with new appendages and being stronger and better than they ever were. Mace Windu is awaiting his return, let’s make it happen!”
Let’s make it happen, indeed! But first, we’ve got Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker to attend to, which blasts into theaters this weekend riding a wave of mixed reviews. Can it close the saga out in style? We’ll find out in just a few days.