Underrated Star Wars Prequel Trilogy Villain’s Potential Return After 24 Years Addressed By Maul EP

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Athena Yvette Portillo, an executive producer on Maul – Shadow Lord, has discussed the possibility of revisiting the often-overlooked Star Wars prequel trilogy.

Darth Maul initially seemed like a one-and-done villain, with a brief appearance and dramatic defeat in The Phantom Menace. However, he unexpectedly returned in the Clone Wars and Rebels animated series, where his character was significantly expanded. Now, he’s leading his own animated show, which has received overwhelmingly positive reviews – a 98% critic score and 92% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

I was really excited to hear what the executive producers of Maul – Shadow Lord had to say on the red carpet after the season one finale. ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan asked them which Star Wars characters they’d love to explore more, and one producer, Portillo, made a great point! They think we should see Zam Wesell from Attack of the Clones return. They argued that since they were able to delve deeper into Maul’s story despite his limited appearances, they could do the same for Zam. Here’s what Portillo said:

I’ve been thinking about Zam Wesell from Attack of the Clones. It’s a shame we didn’t get to explore her character more. Considering Darth Maul only had about six minutes of screen time, and other key figures had limited appearances, Zam was likely in the film for a similar amount of time. I’m really intrigued by her ability to disguise herself, and I love the idea of focusing on bounty hunters in general – they’re a fantastic part of the Star Wars universe.

As Portillo points out, Zam is a bounty hunter who can change her appearance. She’s hired by Jango Fett (Temuera Morrison) to kill Senator Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman) in Attack of the Clones. However, she doesn’t survive long. Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) capture her early in the film, but Jango Fett kills her before she can reveal who hired her.

Matt Michnovetz, the executive producer of Maul – Shadow Lord, would like to revisit the planet Zam. He and Brad Rau are also considering stories about the podracers Ben Quadinaros and Dud Bolt from The Phantom Menace. Quadinaros will reappear in the 2026 Star Wars video game Galactic Racer, but that doesn’t mean he won’t also show up in animated series or other Star Wars projects in the future.

Matt Michnovetz described someone as a shapeshifter, meaning they can change their form. He found it surprising and a little unsettling, but in a good way.

I’ve always liked Ben Quadinaros. I’d love to see him in a racing pod just going all-out – start to finish. He’s a fantastic racer!

Brad Rau: For me, it’s Dud Bolt. It’s actually a road picture with Dud Bolt and Ben Quadinaros.

Matt Michnovetz: It writes itself!

Crossan proposed a prequel story focusing on Jek Porkins, the Rebel Alliance pilot, and suggested Bobby Moynihan for the role. Moynihan has already appeared in several Star Wars projects, including Star Wars Resistance and LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy, which both Portillo and Michnovetz liked. Michnovetz then expanded on the idea, suggesting the bounty hunter Dengar could also be featured in the prequel.

Matt Michnovetz: That’s a great idea.

Athena Yvette Portillo: We love Bobby!

Matt Michnovetz: That’d be fantastic. Get him and Dengar together.

Although it’s currently just speculation, characters like Zam, Ben Quadinaros, Dud Bolt, and Porkins could return to the Star Wars story in significant roles, even with limited screen time. Mon Mothma is a great example of this – she only appeared briefly in Return of the Jedi, but later became a key figure in Andor.

Genevieve O’Reilly originally played a younger version of the character in Revenge of the Sith, though that scene didn’t make the final cut. She later reprised the role in Rogue One, provided the voice for the character in Star Wars Rebels, and became a central figure in both seasons of Andor.

Even if we don’t see her in Maul – Shadow Lord, characters like Zam, Ben Quadinaros, Dud Bolt, and Porkins could reappear elsewhere in the Star Wars universe. A return for Zam would be especially satisfying for fans who have followed the series since Attack of the Clones.

All Maul – Shadow Lord season 1 episodes are streaming on Disney+.

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2026-05-07 15:51