‘Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord’ Producer Reveals Inspirations For Wagner Moura’s Character

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The new animated Star Wars series, Maul – Shadow Lord, is now available on Disney+ and is getting fantastic reviews. Currently, it has a 100% ‘fresh’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with all 30 reviews praising its story and animation. This series continues the story of the famous Sith Lord Maul, even after his death in the Star Wars Rebels animated show. The series also introduces a great new cast of characters, including Wagner Moura as Brander Lawson.

Bradner Lawson originally appeared in a Star Wars comic book featuring Darth Maul. He’s a detective working on the planet Janix, and now he’s making his first television appearance. The character is brought to life by Wagner Moura, the Oscar-nominated actor who starred in the 2025 Brazilian film The Secret Agent. Matt Michnovetz, an executive producer on Maul – Shadow Lord, recently spoke with MovieWeb about casting Moura. He explained that it was Moura’s insightful take on the character during discussions that ultimately convinced the team he was the right fit.

One of our executives, Josh Rhymes – he’s incredibly good at finding the right actors – suggested Dominic Wagner. We were already big fans, so we were excited to meet with him and discuss the role. The meeting wasn’t really about Star Wars at all; we focused on the character itself, what inspired it, and Wagner’s personal life, specifically that he’s a father and, frankly, a more skilled detective than he is a dad.

Wagner Moura’s deep understanding of his character and how he interacts with others was central to shaping his performance. The creative team focused on the internal conflict of being both a father and a detective to guide Moura’s portrayal of Lawson in the Maul series, drawing inspiration from classic films along the way.

I’ve always been so impressed by him, not just as a performer but as a father. Seeing his work, especially in iconic films like Heat, The Untouchables, and even Die Hard, really showed me how much depth he brings to every role. It was clear he carefully built this character, and I’m so thankful for all he’s given to the world of cinema. He truly is an incredibly talented actor.

It’s great news that an actress as talented as Alice Moura is joining a Star Wars project. Interestingly, she’s the second actor from the Netflix series Narcos to be cast – the first was Diego Luna, who played Cassian Andor in Rogue One and his own spin-off series. Because Moura’s character is inspired by Brander Lawson from The Clone Wars, there’s a possibility we might see Lawson appear in live-action someday, either in his own show or as a guest star elsewhere.

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2026-04-09 18:38