The Scrapped Palpatine Show Was Probably the Last Chance for One Star Wars Character’s Return

Star Wars has its fair share of scrapped projects: Rian Johnson was cooking up a trilogy of movies after Star Wars: The Last Jedi that never saw the light of day, and Fan4stic director Josh Trank worked on a Boba Fett solo film years before the character made his return to live-action in The Mandalorian. And it feels like every few weeks, information about another movie or show that didn’t come together makes its way onto the Internet. In fact, Emperor Palpatine actor Ian McDiarmid recently had a lot to say about a TV series that would’ve followed his character in his younger years.

McDiarmid let it slip that Lucasfilm had plans for a Palpatine show that focused on the Sith’s time with his master, Darth Plagueis the Wise, who made his live-action debut in the only season of Star Wars: The Acolyte. That would’ve set the project’s place on the timeline in the years leading up to Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, which may have presented the opportunity to bring back an iconic figure from the galaxy far, far away.

A Palpatine TV Show Would’ve Been the Perfect Playground for Mace Windu

While not much is known about Palpatine’s early years, at some point, he begins to train with Darth Plagueis and learn about the dark side of the Force. They search the galaxy for a way to become immortal because Plagueis fears dying more than anything. However, while it feels likely that any show set in or around this time period would focus on that journey, with Palpatine scheming to kill his master in the background, it’s really not much to go on. Any threat the duo came across would be child’s play for them since the Jedi don’t learn about the Sith’s return until years later. One way to fix that problem would’ve been to have the show focus on Palpatine’s origins and some sort of conflict during his time ruling the Empire. To pull that off successfully, the Dark Lord of the Sith would need an opponent who poses a real threat and has ties to both eras.

Obviously, Yoda would have been a prime candidate since he’s the strongest living Jedi throughout Palpatine’s life. However, one of Yoda’s pupils, Mace Windu, held a pretty nasty grudge against the Emperor. Had the Palpatine series gone forward, it could have focused on Windu’s early years at the Jedi Temple while also confirming that he survived the events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and wanted to get revenge for his fallen comrades. Showing how Palpatine and Windu came to be the people they were before having them come to blows once again would’ve made for fascinating television. Unfortunately, the show never got off the ground, leaving the fate of Samuel L. Jackson’s iconic Jedi up in the air.

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Mace Windu Is Running Out of Places to Make His Return to Star Wars

Ever since Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith hit theaters in 2005, there have been theories about Mace Windu’s survival. And there are some compelling arguments, including that a Jedi of his caliber would never perish from a mere fall. Despite all the pushing from fans and Samuel L. Jackson, though, Windu has yet to return to live-action. Even Bryce Dallas Howard, who works with Lucasfilm on its various Disney+ series, can’t seem to get a straight answer about the Jedi’s future. But the clock is ticking because Star Wars appears to be moving away from the prequel era altogether. Most of the new films and shows in development take place either after Star Wars: Return of the Jedi or after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. That doesn’t leave much room for a Jedi born a couple of decades before The Phantom Menace takes place.

It’s possible that Lucasfilm reverses course and starts fleshing out the prequel era again, but it’s not looking good at the moment. That means that, unless the Palpatine show somehow returns, there’s a good chance that Mace Windu remains dead for good.

Do you think Mace Windu would’ve been a good fit for a Palpatine show? What other Star Wars project would you like to see him in? Let us know in the comments below!