Sam Jackson recently confirmed that he’d like to do a Mace Windu Disney Plus series. “He’s not dead!” he told Empire. But what would that look like and where would Disney take his character?
Where we last saw Windu
Mace was last seen falling from a skyscraper on Coruscant during “Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith,” after he had his hand sliced off and was electrocuted by Darth Sidious. That seems like it would be something that would be extremely hard to come back from, but after Sidious himself came back “somehow” after falling down a reactor shaft and exploding at the end of “Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi,” anyone can come back for any reason in “Star Wars.”
Among fans, Windu’s death has been the subject of much speculation, as he dies off screen and Jedi routinely in the canon are able to leap to and fall from great heights and survive. His appearance in the 2003 “Clone Wars” series is brought up a lot, where he leaps from comparable heights and executes superhuman feats, though that show is sadly no longer canon. Still, it’s reasonable to assume that the No. 2 Jedi in the order could have survived such a fall, even given all of the complications he faced. It would be a bumpy landing for sure, but it doesn’t break my suspension of disbelief given the pre-established rules of the “Star Wars” world and the other comparable feats we see high calibur Jedi pull off.
What’s next for him?
So, in this hypothetical Mace Windu Disney Plus show, he survives his fall. What’s next?
I think he goes into hiding similar to Obi-Wan Kenobi and his grand master, Yoda. Like his superior, he failed to defeat Sidious and he also suffers serious injuries that need time to heal.
Like Obi-Wan, I think Mace will find a call to action about 10 years after “Revenge of the Sith.” Though instead of drawing inquisitors, I think his return will catch the eye of someone who has a personal grudge against him …
Boba Fett
I don’t see any way Disney can make a Mace Windu show without Boba Fett. Mace is also not mentioned at all in “Star Wars: Rebels,” “The Bad Batch” or the original trilogy, so that probably makes that period in between “Revenge of the Sith” and “A New Hope” the best time to have this story take place. That will also allow them to borrow some key elements from the much-anticipated but sadly canceled “Star Wars 1313” video game, which would have seen a young Boba Fett wander the streets of Coruscant as he learns how to become a bounty hunter and ultimately make a living in the galaxy.
Who should they cast as young Boba Fett? There is no better person than Daniel Logan, who originally played Boba Fett in the prequels. He’s 36, but could easily pass for a 20-something Boba.
A Boba vs. Mace revenge story could be the subject of an excellent character-driven show “Star Wars” needs right now. It would be a great way to flesh out Mace’s character and get more depth of how he balances the light and dark side of the force like no other Jedi, while giving critical development to Boba as he finds his footing as a bounty hunter.
I do think this series should be limited and ultimately, Boba should end it by killing Mace. Mace is one of the more flawed Jedi we see in the prequels and given his absence from the original trilogy and almost all media post-“Revenge of the Sith,” I don’t see a way Disney can give him a happy ending. But they can give him a good one.
Mace definitely strikes me as a Jedi who would want to go out on his own terms and would put up quite a fight. Young Boba, from what we’ve seen in “The Clone Wars,” is ruthless and a faceoff between the two could be thrilling.
But I would end the show with a glimmer of hope — perhaps Mace has an apprentice that survives the encounter, that can continue his legacy in some way. That would be a great way to give the character a proper sendoff while pushing the larger “Star Wars” world forward.
I also think that having Boba actually get his revenge would greatly repair his character for those who did not like “The Book of Boba Fett.” Like it or not, Boba is a major character in the Mandoverse and bolstering him would also benefit Disney’s future plans for the franchise.
The show would of course need a competent script and tight direction — two things Jackson did not have for “Secret Invasion.” But if done properly, I think this series could be a huge win for both Disney and Star Wars.
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