In 2005's "Revenge of the Sith," Darth Sidious finally recruited his rightful apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, and together they overthrew the Jedi Council and took over the galaxy. The newly anointed Darth Vader attacked Jedi leader Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) alongside Sidious; Vader sliced off Windu's hand and Sidious used his Force lightning to shove the Jedi out a window. Mace Windu presumably fell to his death, leaving only two Jedi remaining in the galaxy: Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda.

Or did he?

In a Twitter Q&A session earlier this week, Samuel L. Jackson unleashed his own fan theory regarding the final fate of his character. Basically, Mace Windu ain't dead.

"In my mind, I'm not dead," answered Jackson. "Jedis can fall incredibly high distances and not die."

Jackson later expanded on his theory in an interview on Entertainment Weekly radio, stating emphatically that Mace Windu is alive. “Of course he is! Jedi can fall from amazing distances. And there’s a long history of one-handed Jedi. So why not?”

Jackson added that he's only shared his theory with one other person: "Star Wars" creator -- and "Revenge of the Sith" writer/director -- George Lucas. “But George doesn’t have anything to do with it anymore," said Jackson, referring to Lucas' sale of the Star Wars property to Disney. But Lucas likes his theory: “George is like, ‘I’m okay with that. You can be alive.”

Whether or not this fan theory -- albeit one that comes from Mace Windu himself -- will gain any traction within the new Star Wars canon currently unfolding in film, comics, novels and television remains to be seen. But all it would take is one post-"Revenge of the Sith" appearance from Mace Windu to confirm his survival -- and George Lucas has given his seal of approval.

(via The Hollywood Reporter)