Credit: LucasfilmLucasfilm is officially actioning some of George Lucas’s plans for the Star Wars franchise.
It’s been over a decade since Disney acquired Lucasfilm from George Lucas for about $4.05 billion, gaining ownership of the Star Wars franchise and announcing plans for a new sequel trilogy. Lucas described the characters as his “kids,” later remarking in an interview that he had “sold them to the white slavers,” a comment for which he later apologized (via Variety).
Under Disney, the franchise expanded rapidly with films such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017), and The Rise of Skywalker (2019), alongside series like The Mandalorian. Reception has been sharply divided among fans, with strong box office results but ongoing debate about story direction and continuity.
Lucas himself has expressed mixed feelings about the new era. He criticized The Force Awakens for relying heavily on nostalgia and later admitted the sale felt emotional, though he eventually struck a conciliatory tone, saying Disney had taken the franchise in its own direction and telling WSJ Magazine that he had “moved past it.” He also notably enjoyed Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Famously, Disney dismissed Lucas’s ideas for the sequel trilogy. His treatments reportedly focused on a very different direction for the saga, including a deeper exploration of the Force through midi-chlorians and mysterious beings known as the Whills. Lucas also envisioned a story in which Leia rebuilt the Republic while Darth Maul emerged as a crime lord leading the galaxy’s criminal underworld.
However, as per recent comments from Lucasfilm’s new co-president, Dave Filoni, it seems like they’ve decided to embrace the franchise father’s thoughts moving forward.
Lucasfilm Falls Back on George Lucas Plans for ‘Star Wars’
Ahead of the release of Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, Dave Filoni revealed that the new Disney+ project will embrace ideas proposed by George Lucas.
“Maul is a character that’s our responsibility,” Filoni recently told StarWars.com. “George [Lucas] and I had had some talks about Maul over the years and what his plans for Maul had been. And so I felt it was a way of honoring that future that we were going to have and finally bringing some of it to light.”
This approach isn’t totally surprising considering Filoni’s history with Star Wars.
Lucas personally hired Filoni in 2005 to help develop Star Wars: The Clone Wars, mentoring him closely during production. Filoni has often said Lucas “taught me how to think about Star Wars,” and he later became a central creative voice behind projects including Star Wars Rebels and The Mandalorian, as well as serving as the studio’s Chief Creative Officer.
Filoni has a long history with Darth Maul in particular. After debuting in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), Maul reappeared in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, with both of which Filoni was deeply involved.
What Can Fans Expect From ‘Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord’?
Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord doesn’t premiere until April 6, but based on what we know, it draws on several elements of Lucas’s plans for the character.
The animated series takes place roughly a year after Star Wars: The Clone Wars, meaning it takes place between Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) and Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977). It will see Maul attempting to claw his way back to power and forging an alliance with a Jedi Padawan in the process.
“He was trained to hate and destroy the Jedi without ever questioning it,” explains voice actor Sam Witwer, who has voiced Darth Maul for over a decade. “Now he’s looking at the galaxy going, ‘Boy, we could sure use a Jedi Knight or two.’ At least with the Jedi, you knew where they stood. There’s something to respect there. This Empire, he sees no values there, just the naked grab for influence, power, and money.”
Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord is expected to run for 10 episodes, with two episodes being released each week. Fittingly, its finale will air on May 4 (aka Star Wars Day), a few weeks before the franchise shifts its attention back to the big screen with The Mandalorian & Grogu (2026).
Are you excited for Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord?