Anakin Skywalker and Mace Windu had a very special reunion this weekend, though an apology likely wasn’t on the menu. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, the film has returned to theaters to thrill old and new fans alike. The reunion came during a special screening at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood, when Hayden Christensen and Samuel L. Jackson jumped on stage to surprise the crowd, talk about the movie a bit, and show off their lightsaber skills. Christensen even does his trademark spin move, and Jackson continues to rock the purple lightsaber with immense swagger.
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Christensen took the stage first with his red lightsaber and addressed the crowd. He also revealed that the red blade holds a special place for him.
“I see a lot of lightsabers out here,” Christensen told the crowd. “I see a lot of red lightsabers, which, truth be told, is my personal favorite lightsaber color.”
Samuel L. Jackson interrupts from off-stage, beaming from ear to ear as the crowd cheers.
“Hold on, Skywalker,” Jackson said, entering with his purple lightsaber in hand. “This party ain’t even over.”
Christensen welcomes his former co-star onto the stage, and both seem very happy with the crowd’s reception. Jackson mentions he’s shocked how popular the movie is after 20 years.
“This is so, so, so awesome,” the Avengers actor said. “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. Thank you all so much. We had a great time making the film down in Australia. We were hangin’ out, doin’ stuff.”
He also dropped a big bit of news about his final scene in the series, dispelling the notion that he was “dead” in the movie.
“I hope you enjoy the effort that went into this and watching me do my ‘I move almost all backwards’ fight with Palpatine,” Jackson continued. “Before my unexpected exit. And for the record — Mace lives!”
During production, Jackson said several times that if his character went out, he wanted to go out in “badass” fashion. You don’t technically ever see his dead body, so the possibility he survived is still in play. That said, getting your arm chopped off by Anakin and being blasted out of a window on Coruscant isn’t exactly the coolest exit. It arguably might have been better if he went out like Obi-Wan in the original Star Wars. Join with the Force, become a ghost, and keep teaching.
[RELATED – Star Wars Director Confirms Talks to Bring Back Mace Windu (and Samuel L. Jackson)]
There’s always hope Mace Windu could eventually return for a Disney+ series or even a solo adventure on the big screen. As it stands now, Windu is officially dead in the Star Wars canon. Christensen has already made his return to the franchise with his appearances in Ahsoka‘s first season and the 2022 Obi-Wan Kenobi series. He’s set to return for Ahsoka’s second season.
Revenge of the Sith is back in theaters for a short amount of time. Fans can catch it in theaters until April 30. Fans can also pick up a special popcorn bucket molded like Darth Vader’s helmet at certain AMC locations, while special cups and buckets are being offered at other theater chains. The 20th anniversary bucket is already popping up on eBay for $120.
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