Dead men don’t stay buried for long in “Star Wars,” and Darth Maul has spent years proving that point better than most in the galaxy far, far away. Now Lucasfilm Animation is pushing one of the franchise’s most durable villains back to the center with the first trailer and poster for “Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord,” a new animated series that premieres exclusively on Disney+ on April 6, 2026.
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Set after the events of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” the series follows Maul as he tries to rebuild his criminal syndicate on a planet untouched by the Empire. That setup alone gives the show a useful lane to operate in: part underworld story, part revenge tale, part character study of a villain who is at his most interesting when stripped of Sith grandeur and left to operate closer to the dirt. The wrinkle this time is a disillusioned young Jedi Padawan who crosses his path and may become the apprentice he has been looking for.
Sam Witwer returns to voice Maul, which is about as essential a piece of continuity as the show could have. He’s joined by Gideon Adlon as Devon Izara and Wagner Moura as Brander Lawson, with a supporting cast that also includes Richard Ayoade, Dennis Haysbert, Chris Diamantopoulos, Charlie Bushnell, Vanessa Marshall, David W. Collins, A.J. LoCascio, and Steve Blum.
Behind the scenes, the series is created by Dave Filoni, based on “Star Wars” and characters created by George Lucas. Filoni also develops the show with Matt Michnovetz, while Brad Rau serves as supervising director. The executive producers are Filoni, Athena Yvette Portillo, Michnovetz, Rau, Carrie Beck, and Josh Rimes, with Alex Spotswood as co-executive producer.
The scheduling is also a little more eventized than the average streaming dump. Two episodes will premiere each week, with the final two set to air on May 4—because of course they are. Whether the show ends up playing more like pulp adventure, criminal-world spinoff, or a darker force-side character piece, Maul remains one of the few “Star Wars” antagonists who can still carry that kind of weight without feeling like a nostalgia-only play.
“Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord” premieres on Disney+ on April 6, 2026. Watch the trailer below.
Rodrigo Perez is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Playlist, which he launched in 2008. He has worked in entertainment journalism since 2000, including at MTV, and has written for SPIN, IndieWire, Pitchfork, Complex, Magnet, and various music, film, and entertainment publications over the past two decades.
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