Star Wars’ Risky New Era Just Crowned the Next Luke Skywalker

by

Disney has given fans a first look at Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, a new animated series coming to Disney+. The show will release two episodes each week, starting April 6th and concluding with a total of ten episodes on May 4th. Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord faces high expectations, as it follows the critically acclaimed second season of Andor and the popular animated series Clone Wars, which is considered a fan favorite within the Star Wars universe.

It’s notable that Star Wars gave so much attention – a full 10-episode arc – to a character from the past like Maul, especially considering he’s become one of the most iconic villains in the franchise. This suggests just how important Maul has become within the larger Star Wars story. The unique art style of Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, which is already impressive, highlights what makes The Clone Wars series so special. In many ways, it’s clear how Maul has evolved into the next central, heroic figure in Star Wars, much like Luke Skywalker.

Luke Skywalker is Star Wars’ Cash Cow

Since its beginning with A New Hope in 1977, Star Wars has always centered its stories around Luke Skywalker and his family. Even the most recent films heavily featured the relationship between Luke and Leia, and Luke continues to appear in shows on Disney+ that are set after Return of the Jedi.

The series began with this iconic character, and it was exciting to see him train as a Jedi with Yoda, ultimately choosing to spare his father, who had become the evil Darth Vader. But other established characters haven’t had as much screen time, yet remain popular thanks to dedicated fans or appearances in new films and shows that have expanded their stories.

As a big Star Wars fan, I’m really excited to see they’re clearly investing heavily in Maul’s story! Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord seems to show him trying to rebuild his criminal empire on the planet Janix, and it’s cool that this comic gives us a look into his plans. It’s also neat knowing that everything he’s doing here actually leads to what we see him up to in later Star Wars stories – it’s like getting a glimpse of the backstory that sets everything up!

​​​​​​​The Clone Wars Made Maul the Villain He is Today

Darth Maul’s popularity wouldn’t be what it is today without Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but that’s true for a lot of older characters who had great designs but limited screen time in the original or prequel films. Take Boba Fett, for instance. He made a huge impact in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi despite having very little dialogue and seemingly meeting his end in a sarlacc pit in the latter.

Maul doesn’t appear until the fourth season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. He’s found by his brother, Savage Opress, on the junk planet Lotho Minor, where Maul has built robotic legs for himself. A major reason Maul is so compelling in the series is thanks to Sam Witwer’s fantastic performance, but the show also gives the character impressive depth and development.

Shadow Lord is a Glimpse at Star Wars’ Future

The comic Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord takes place one year after the end of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. This story will show what happened before his unexpected appearance in Solo: A Star Wars Story, where he was the leader of the Crimson Dawn crime organization. It also comes before the events of Star Wars Rebels, which shows his death on Tatooine at the hands of Obi-Wan.

The new comic, Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, will add a fascinating piece to Maul’s story and expand the already extensive Star Wars universe. It’s likely to increase the character’s popularity, but surprisingly, this detailed exploration of his past might limit future appearances in other Star Wars projects, as his story seems to be fully developed.

It’s possible that if the new comic, Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, is popular, we might see a prequel story to The Phantom Menace focusing on Maul, allowing fans to learn more about his backstory. Regardless, everything is set up for the comic to succeed in 2026, which also highlights how much fans love Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels.

Read More

2026-01-24 03:18