The Force was strong at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on Friday night when Star Wars veterans Hayden Christensen and Samuel L. Jackson made an unexpected appearance during a 20th-anniversary screening of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.
Christensen, who portrayed Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, took the stage first, red lightsaber in hand. Addressing the crowd, he said, “I see a lot of lightsabers out here. I see a lot of red lightsabers, which truth be told is my personal favorite lightsaber color.” He reflected on his memories from the production of the film, which marked the character’s full transformation into Darth Vader.
As Christensen spoke, he was interrupted from offstage by a familiar voice. “Hold on, Skywalker,” Samuel L. Jackson called out, prompting loud cheers from the audience. Christensen then welcomed Jackson to the stage, introducing him as “Mace Windu himself.”
Jackson, who portrayed Jedi Master Mace Windu in the prequel trilogy, appeared energized by the warm reception. “This is so, so, so awesome,” he said. “Twenty years later, I can hardly believe that we’re still as popular — as happenin’ — as we are.” Jackson shared memories of filming Revenge of the Sith in Australia, reminiscing about the camaraderie among the cast and crew. “We were hangin’ out, doin’ stuff,” he said.
The actor took a moment to joke about his character’s fate. In Revenge of the Sith, Windu attempts to arrest Emperor Palpatine but is ultimately defeated and thrown out a window on Coruscant. “I hope you enjoy the effort that went into this and watching me do my ‘I move almost all backwards’ fight with Palpatine,” Jackson told the audience. “Before my unexpected exit. And for the record — Mace lives!”
Jackson’s comments reference his long-standing assertion that Mace Windu survived the fall, despite official canon maintaining the character’s death. Over the years, Jackson has expressed enthusiasm for reprising the role, suggesting possibilities for Windu’s return in future Star Wars projects. His voice made a brief appearance as part of a collection of Jedi voices in 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker, though Windu has not been physically depicted in new material.
The screening served as a celebration of the enduring legacy of the Star Wars prequels. Revenge of the Sith concluded the trilogy by chronicling Anakin Skywalker’s transformation into Darth Vader and the fall of the Jedi Order.
Christensen, who has recently returned to the Star Wars universe through appearances in Disney+ series such as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka, spoke earlier this month about his evolving understanding of the character. Speaking at Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo, he said, “I think my understanding of the character is just continuing to grow. We’re getting to sort of explore different sides of Anakin, which I’m really enjoying.”
Christensen expressed particular excitement about portraying a more heroic aspect of Anakin’s character during his appearances in Ahsoka. “It’s a very complex character and there’s a lot going on,” he said. “But I’m really loving getting to sort of play the more heroic side of the character in the Ahsoka show. I’m very excited for season two.”
Development on the second season of Ahsoka was announced in January, following the conclusion of its first season in October 2023. Christensen’s continued involvement highlights the connection fans maintain with the Skywalker legacy and the expanding storytelling within the franchise.