‘Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord’ Is the Perfect Jumping-on Point for Newcomers [Exclusive]

Lucasfilm and Disney are jumping back into the animated Star Wars universe with the release of Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord, centered on Sam Witwer’s iconic animated Sith villain. Spinning off from Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Shadow Lord will pick up with Maul in a new story, as he looks to rebuild his criminal syndicate on a planet unaffected by the reign of the Empire. Along with classic characters from the franchise’s lore and a handful of new faces, this will be the most in-depth story yet for Maul, putting him front and center for the first time in years.

Since making his debut in 1999’s Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Maul has built up quite the history in the galaxy far, far away across live-action and animation. With short appearances in two movies and lengthier tenures in Star Wars: The Clones Wars and Star Wars: Rebels, the question turns to how much of that material is required to watch before diving into Maul’s first solo adventure. As it turns out, the answer to that question may come as a shock.

Speaking exclusively with MovieWeb, Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord executive producer Athena Yvette Portillo addressed the show being developed as a standalone project. According to Portillo, show creator and Lucasfilm President/CCO Dave Filoni “wanted to make sure that this show was a standalone” from the beginning, wanting to make it accessible for any level of Star Wars fan, from newbie to diehard. Calling it “a story about hope and family,” the intent was to make sure that anybody could start watching Maul, whether they knew anything about him or not:

“Mythology is the key word. Filoni said it from the very beginning that he wanted to make sure that this show was a standalone because we always want to think about new fans that come into the franchise, so it is accessible in that capacity. It’s also accessible in that capacity. It’s also accessible in its narrative: it’s always a story about hope and family, whether by bloodline or by way of friendships. It’s also like a tug of war story in terms of conflict, right? Because you have a teenager in Devon. She’s been trained by her master in the Jedi Order way, so obviously she’s moldable. But then she meets a Sith Lord who has other ways of training, which could potentially lure someone who still wants to be educated in the process, so there’s resonance in it, in that way.”

Considering the popularity Maul has garnered across the 21st century, even viewers unfamiliar with his history are eager to see what he can do with his own solo story. While his long history will surely help viewers understand where he has been before this new show starts, there is sure to be plenty of material ensuring that everything that needs to be known about him is put forth for fans of all levels.

The first two episodes of Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord, which have debuted with a perfect score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, are now streaming on Disney+, and two new episodes will debut every Monday on Disney+ at 12 a.m. PT/3 a.m. ET.

Release Date

April 6, 2026

Network

Disney+

Directors

Brad Rau