Star Wars tends to play the hits. The series has an obsession with exploring the nooks and crannies of its lore and the backstories of its characters. Because of that, the entire Star Wars franchise has suffered from a lack of new characters and stories. Disney Plus's The Mandalorian has been praised for bringing new life into the Star Wars galaxy while still keeping a good balance of nods to the past.
The second season of The Mandalorian brought back a number of familiar faces. Previous Star Wars characters like Ahsoka Tano, Bo-Katan, and Cobb Vanth have all made appearances on the show. "Chapter 14: The Tragedy" gave The Mandalorian its first Jedi cameo with the appearance of a de-aged Luke Skywalker. It's the post-credits scene that really has fan talking.
At the end of The Mandalorian, Disney teased the return of a fan-favorite Star Wars character – in a show entirely of his own. The Book of Boba Fett will air in December of 2021. Disney hasn't said much about the series. We know it will follow the beloved bounty hunter as he takes over the remains of Jabba the Hutt's criminal operation on Tatooine. All the blasts from the past have fans hopeful for seeing other characters make grand returns to Star Wars on Disney Plus. Boba Fett's return signals a strong possibility that fans will be seeing one Jedi in particular. For the first time in sixteen years, there might be a chance of seeing Samuel Jackson return to the galaxy as Mace Windu.
Mace Windu, Jedi Master
The Phantom Menace first introduced Mace Windu, one of the prequel trilogy's best characters. As a Jedi Master, he served on the Jedi Council alongside Yoda and Qui Gon Jinn. The prequels showed Mace Windu to be one of the strongest Jedi alive. He served as Yoda's right hand throughout the Clone Wars. Samuel Jackson didn't have a ton of screen time within the prequel trilogy, but Windu played an integral role to the trilogy's story.
In Attack of the Clones, Mace Windu kicks off the Battle of Geonosis when he arrives at Petranaki Arena with a legion of Jedi under his command. The battle started the Clone Wars. During the fight, Windu killed famed bounty hunter Jango Fett. Jango's son, Boba Fett, witnessed the slaughter and may have been planning revenge ever since.
The prequels never gave Boba Fett the chance to confront Mace Windu. Instead, in Revenge of the Sith, Windu realized Palpatine was a Sith lord. He brought Jedi to capture Palpatine, but Anakin intervened on Palpatine's behalf. In the conflict, Palpatine used Force lightning on Windu, who fell out of a window and was never seen again. Windu's "death" in Revenge of the Sith is Anakin's turning point to the dark side.
Mace Windu Lives
Samuel Jackson and George Lucas both agree that Mace Windu survived his battle with Anakin and Palpatine in Revenge of the Sith. Fans saw plenty more of Windu in The Clone Wars series, but Star Wars hasn't explored his life after Order 66. For years there's been hope and rumors that Star Wars will in some way address what happened to Windu after his fall on Coruscant.
Samuel Jackson has said that he's on board to return as Mace Windu. All that remains is for Disney to decide to bring the character back. The best opportunity for Windu's return was probably the season 2 finale for The Mandalorian. His absence can be forgiven, if only because Luke Skywalker was able to take his place. The second-best opportunity will come in December.
Boba Fett missed his chance to confront Mace Windu in the prequel trilogy and The Clone Wars series. With his return in The Book of Boba Fett, he might get another shot. No one can say for sure what Boba Fett is up to now that he's escaped the Sarlacc pit, but The Book of Boba Fett could be a revenge story. That would fit into the western-styled tone set by The Mandalorian. A revenge plot would also help distinguish the new show from The Mandalorian, since both series follow bounty hunters in the New Republic era. Of course, another way to avoid similarities with The Mandalorian would be for The Book of Boba Fett to omit Force users entirely.
Disney isn't likely to give out any hints, one way or another. All the pieces are in place for Mace Windu to make a glorious return to the galaxy. His presence could help give direction to Boba Fett's new life after the Sarlacc, and Samuel Jackson is the right age to pull off a post-Return of the Jedi Mace Windu. Whether it's in The Book of Boba Fett or the next season of The Mandalorian, Windu's return would excite fans and answer some long-lingering questions. Keep your fingers crossed. Samuel Jackson could be back in Jedi robes this December.