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Credit: LucasfilmA major Star Wars icon is officially making his way back to the galaxy far, far away. Darth Maul–the double-bladed Sith warrior who became one of the saga’s most unforgettable figures–will headline a new animated series arriving on Disney+ in 2026.
Star Wars: Maul–Shadow Lord Officially Announced
That legacy will expand once again. At Star Wars Celebration 2025 in Tokyo, Lucasfilm confirmed the long-rumored return of Maul in a brand-new animated series.
“During the 20th anniversary Lucasfilm Animation panel at Star Wars Celebration Japan, surprise guest Sam Witwer took the stage to reveal his return to the galaxy as the star of the next animated series–Star Wars: Maul–Shadow Lord,” StarWars.com explained earlier today.
“In a new series set after the events of the final season of The Clone Wars, Maul rises again to lead the underworld factions,” the site added. “Fans attending the panel in person got an early look at the series’ new animation style with an in-room-only sizzle.”
Rumors of a Maul-focused Disney+ project have circulated for years, and this official reveal signals that Lucasfilm is ready to further explore his transformation into the Crimson Dawn’s leader.
Even knowing his eventual fate at Obi-Wan’s hands on Tatooine, this upcoming series promises to deepen the character’s motivations and bridge the gap leading into his surprise appearance in 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story.
“Star Wars: Maul–Shadow Lord is currently in production and will debut on Disney+ in 2026,” the announcement concluded.
New Details Revealed About the Clone Wars Prequel
At Rebel Scum Con in August, Star Wars fans were treated to a rare deep dive into the upcoming series Maul: Shadow Lord, courtesy of actor Sam Witwer, whose voice has defined the character of Darth Maul across multiple eras of the galaxy far, far away.
In a discussion captured by Hyperdrive: A Star Wars Channel on YouTube, Witwer shed new light on when the story unfolds—and how it captures Maul at a pivotal moment in his tortured journey.
According to Witwer, the events of Shadow Lord take place immediately following the end of the Clone Wars, right as the Galactic Empire rises from the ashes of the Republic.
While earlier speculation placed the show somewhere between The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, Witwer clarified that this series begins much closer to the fall of the Jedi, offering a ground-level view of the Empire’s early days through Maul’s eyes.
“It takes place shortly after the end of the Clone Wars,” Witwer explained. “So this is the very beginning of the Empire. And Maul, he was helping to make the Empire for a while until he quit working for Palpatine…this guy is looking around, going, ‘Is this what we had in mind? ‘Cause I didn’t think it was going to be this.’”
“Maul comes from a land of magic, and color, and knights, and dragons… now all of that is dead,” the actor continued. “And the magic and the colors [are] being sucked out of the galaxy by this mechanical, maniacal Empire… Maul is going like, ‘What happened to the Jedi Knights?’”
Rather than focusing solely on Maul’s lust for power, Maul: Shadow Lord appears to frame him as a tragic observer of a new galactic order that’s stripped of spirit and wonder. Witwer’s comments suggest that fans will see a conflicted, introspective Maul—one who may not align himself with the Empire, but also cannot stand among the heroes who fought to stop it.
If Witwer’s words are any indication, Shadow Lord will explore a side of Maul rarely seen on-screen—a man haunted not just by revenge, but by the realization that the galaxy he fought to shape has become something far darker and emptier than he ever imagined.
Maul’s Story So Far
First introduced in Star Wars: Episode I–The Phantom Menace (1999), Maul, portrayed by Ray Park with vocals by Peter Serafinowicz, instantly stood out with his fearsome appearance and acrobatic combat style.
As Darth Sidious’s apprentice, he proved lethal in battle, slaying Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) before meeting apparent death at the hands of Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi–sliced in two and cast into a reactor shaft. Yet, as Star Wars fans would discover, Maul’s journey was far from finished.
His resurrection came through Star Wars: The Clone Wars, where Sam Witwer took over as the character’s voice. Found half-mad and crawling on mechanical spider legs on a junk world, Maul was restored through the aid of his brother, Savage Opress (Clancy Brown), and the dark magicks of Mother Talzin (Barbara Goodson).
Fueled by vengeance, Maul built the Shadow Collective–a criminal empire forged from alliances with the Pykes, Black Sun, and Death Watch. His reign included seizing control of Mandalore and claiming the Darksaber as his own. During the climactic Siege of Mandalore, Maul clashed with Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein) in one of the saga’s most memorable lightsaber duels. Though captured, he escaped amid the chaos of Order 66.
Maul’s saga continued in Star Wars Rebels, where he emerged as a fractured yet cunning manipulator haunted by his rivalry with Obi-Wan. He preyed on young Ezra Bridger (Taylor Gray), hoping to reclaim purpose and exact revenge.
In the poignant “Twin Suns” episode, Maul finally confronted Obi-Wan (Stephen Stanton) on Tatooine in a brief but emotional duel that ended with his death. His final words–asking if Obi-Wan was guarding “the Chosen One”–became a haunting nod to Luke Skywalker.
Years later, Ron Howard’s Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) delivered a live-action surprise that stunned audiences. Once again portrayed by Ray Park and voiced by Sam Witwer, Maul appeared as the elusive head of the Crimson Dawn syndicate, pulling strings from the criminal underworld’s darkest corners.
From Sith apprentice to criminal mastermind, Maul’s path remains one of the saga’s most intricate, a journey marked by betrayal, survival, and reinvention.
The Future of Star Wars
Star Wars Celebration 2025 also brought more exciting news beyond Maul’s return. After months of speculation, Shawn Levy’s Star Wars film has been confirmed and is moving forward.
Officially titled Star Wars: Starfighter, the standalone adventure is set to take place around five years after Star Wars: Episode IX–The Rise of Skywalker (2019) and will star Ryan Gosling in the lead role. Production has begun, with a planned release date of May 28, 2027.
With Star Wars: Maul–Shadow Lord*, Lucasfilm is not only revisiting one of its most complex figures but also expanding a dark corner of the franchise that has fascinated fans for decades.
How do you feel about this next chapter of The Clone Wars era? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!