Samuel L. Jackson says that not only is his Star Wars character alive, but he is willing to reprise the role.
The actor said that losing an arm then immediately getting shocked by lightning and blasted out of a skyscraper window apparently does not mean complete annihilation if you're a Jedi. Jackson stated this claim in a video posted on Twitter during a Q&A for The Legend of Tarzan.
@starwarsgirl1 asked who it was behind the scenes that decided to kill off the character and Jackson responded by saying it was director and writer George Lucas' idea.
"[Lucas] said he killed all these important characters in all these other movies leading up to that and he said the only person left to kill that would mean anything in Episode III would be me,"he said. "I was trying to figure out, 'Really? Can't you just, like, injure me?'"
The actor then went on to say, "In my mind, I'm not dead. Jedis can fall incredibly high distances and not die."
The video was posted on Saturday and Jackson later clarified his comments when he appeared on Entertainment Weekly Radio Wednesday.
"Of course he [is alive]," the 67-year-old said. "Jedis can fall from amazing distances and there's a long history of one-handed jedis."
Jackson also said the only person he's talked about this with is Lucas. Even though Lucas said he's fine with the character being alive, he is not involved in the development of the new Star Wars movies.
When asked if Jackson would be fine with showing up in the last scene of a movie à la Nick Fury in Iron Man, the actor said, "That would be fine for me."
Aside from The Legend of Tarzan opening on Friday, Jackson is set to appear in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children set for September, xXx: The Return of Xander Cage in January, and Kong: Skull Island releasing in March.