A newStar WarsTV shows,Maul: Shadow Lord, brings the franchise’s animation back, complete with elements from George Lucas' original sequel trilogy plans.Star Wars Celebration 2025is currently underway, with Lucasfilm offering plenty for fans to sink their teeth into. Not only have newupcomingStar Warsmoviesbeen announced, but a focus on TV has been evident too. As part of one panel, anupcomingStar WarsTV showwas announced by Lucasfilm’s animation team, blending the world of Maul with some exciting elements from George Lucas' sequel trilogy plans.
As part of the 20th Anniversary ofStar WarsAnimation panel, Dave Filoni outlined the future of the franchise. Filoni revealed a brand new animated show -Maul: Shadow Lord.The show will focus on the titular villain as the head of his crime syndicate in the Imperial era of theStar Warstimeline. What’s more, Maul will take on a dark side apprentice, linking to plans George Lucas himself once had for aStar Warssequel trilogy.Maul: Shadow Lordis set for release in 2026, and stars Sam Witwer as the voice of the titular character.
Following the panel, avideo celebrating theStar Warsanimation anniversarywas released, and while it mostly reviewed the franchise’s past, the final frames offered a first look at Maul’s return:
Darth Talon, The Sith Apprentice Lucas Wanted For The Sequels, Is Becoming Canon
As Maul’s Apprentice
In the trailer forMaul: Shadow Lord, shown exclusively to those in attendance at Star Wars Celebration 2025, Maul is shown training an apprentice, a pink/red-skinned Twi’lek. This resembles the design of Darth Talon, a character first introduced inStar WarsLegends stories. Reportedly, George Lucas wanted to bring Darth Talon into thescripts for hisStar Warssequel trilogy, before passing off the franchise to Disney. Now, Lucas' dream is being fulfilled.
While the storyline ofMaul: Shadow Lordand how his dark side apprentice will play into things is unclear, the basic premise matches what is known of Lucas' sequel plans. Lucas intended to focus his sequel trilogy on the criminal underworld being led by Maul, with the villain as the primary antagonist, akin to Emperor Palpatine from the original trilogy. Talon would then take a Darth Vader-like role as Maul’s apprentice. Although the broader elements ofMaul: Shadow Lordwill be different, the titular character being a criminal mastermind and taking on a Twi’lek apprentice seems to match Lucas' plans.
Our Take On Darth Maul: Shadow Lord
The Future Of Star Wars Animation Looks Bright
As far as surprises go, this is one that should be sure to exciteStar Warsfans greatly. Not only is Maul returning to the franchise, but the possibilities ofMaul: Shadow Lordare endless.Star WarsAnimation has proven to be one of the few facets of the franchise with consistent near-universal acclaim, and it has only gone from strength-to-strength in recent years. Combining this with the fact that Maul is a fan-favorite,Star Wars' future just got much more exciting.
Regarding the story itself, the introduction of a Darth Talon-inspired character is overly intriguing. Whether the show delves into deeper aspects aligned with Lucas' sequel plans remains to be seen, but the possibility of this alone is compelling. Then there is the possibility ofMaul: Shadow Lordlinking to the teases ofSolo: A Star Wars Story. Regardless of what happens, one word can be best used to describeStar Wars' new TV show: potential. Hopefully,Maul: Shadow Lordlives up to the high standards its predecessors have set.
