Star Wars Celebration is typically full of surprises. Having said that, we don’t think many anticipated a brand new project featuring Darth Maul. During the 20th anniversary Lucasfilm Animation panel, surprise guest Sam Witwer took the stage to reveal his return to the galaxy as the star of the next animated series entitled Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord. The new animated series is set to be released some time in 2026.
Sam Witwer first voiced the sinister Sith Lord in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and then again in Star Wars: Rebels. It was revealed in Solo, that Maul had seized power as the head of the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate. Following on from that, we never really see much of the syndicate before Maul meets his end at the hands of Obi-Wan in Rebels. However, this animated series could bridge that gap. According to the official Star Wars website, the series will focus on Maul’s plot to “rebuild his criminal syndicate on a planet untouched by the Empire.”
Fans attending the panel were shown an early look at the series’ updated animation style, as seen in The Bad Batch and the final season of The Clone Wars, with a brief sizzle. Online descriptions seem to reveal that Maul will be training a young Twi’lek apprentice who could potentially be a Legends favourite, Darth Talon. The sizzle also revealed that Maul will be facing off against Inquisitor Marrok, who first appears in Ahsoka. Maul’s legend is obviously known across the galaxy because Marrok greets him with a menancing “so he lives.”
Give this series to us now! We are so thrilled that Witwer will be back as Maul, and that fans will be able to enjoy more stories involving beloved characters. There’s no word on if and when the sizzle will be made available for everyone else, but keep your Jedi senses ready because it could be soon.
Star Wars Celebration is now in full-swing so make sure you keep your eyes peeled for more news regarding films, shows, books, comics, and collectibles. It’s going to be an insane weekend in Japan and we can’t wait to bask in all of the excitement.
You can catch up on all of the latest Star Wars news right here.
