George Lucas’ Sequel Trilogy Plan Would Have Fixed His Biggest Phantom Menace Mistake

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George Lucas had ideas for the Star Wars sequels that focused on resolving some earlier creative choices he wasn’t entirely happy with. While he often presented Star Wars as a meticulously planned saga from the start, it’s well known that he frequently adjusted the story as he went. For example, Darth Vader’s connection to Luke Skywalker as his father wasn’t decided until a later draft of The Empire Strikes Back, and the revelation that Leia was Luke’s sister was primarily a way to neatly conclude several storylines. Like any skilled storyteller, Lucas was flexible and willing to change his plans as needed.

Lucas made a similar decision with the Star Wars prequels. He realized fans didn’t respond well to the idea of midi-chlorians after The Phantom Menace and decided to move away from it, calling further focus on them “indulgent.” He also learned something else from that film: Darth Maul proved surprisingly popular, and Lucas quickly regretted killing him off so soon.

Darth Maul Was Wasted By The Phantom Menace

Lucasfilm heavily promoted Darth Maul, and for good reason. His striking, almost devilish design was instantly memorable. Back then, audiences were just learning about the Sith, making the sight of a red lightsaber wielded by Maul incredibly exciting. He wasn’t just any lightsaber user, though – he had a unique, double-bladed weapon that hadn’t been featured in a movie before, only in comics. Maul was a key part of the phenomenal first trailer for The Phantom Menace, and he made a big impact.

I remember being so hyped for Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace, but looking back, he was really only on screen for about six minutes. He looked amazing, definitely a cool villain, but he didn’t really have much to say or do, and wasn’t a very developed character. What was even more frustrating was that he died so quickly, defeated by Obi-Wan because of his own overconfidence! It didn’t take long for George Lucas to realize that killing him off was a mistake – he clearly had so much more story in him.

George Lucas once explored a surprising twist for Revenge of the Sith: revealing that General Grievous was actually Darth Maul, horribly transformed into a cyborg. While this idea was ultimately scrapped, Lucas later insisted on bringing Maul back to life in The Clone Wars, and writer Henry Gilroy found a way to make it work. Interestingly, this resurrection nearly led to an even larger role for Maul in the Star Wars universe.

Darth Maul Would Have Been the Villain of Lucas’ Star Wars Sequel Trilogy

Paul Duncan’s book, The Star Wars Archives 1999-2005, shares George Lucas’s initial ideas for the sequel trilogy – plans that were quite different from what Disney ultimately produced after buying Lucasfilm in 2012. According to Lucas, he originally envisioned Darth Maul returning as the main villain, reimagined as a powerful crime boss, continuing the storyline from Clone Wars. Lucas explained that Maul would “eventually become the godfather of crime in the universe” as he stepped in to fill the power vacuum left by the failing Empire.

Originally, the plan involved Darth Maul taking on his own apprentice, Darth Talon, establishing him as a key figure in the continuation of the Sith. Surprisingly, George Lucas later realized Maul’s potential and envisioned him as a primary villain, not just a supporting one. In this alternate sequel storyline, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa would have spearheaded a revitalized Jedi Order and the New Republic to combat a powerful crime lord. Furthermore, the story would have revealed Leia as the true Chosen One, the one destined to bring lasting peace to the galaxy.

Those initial ideas for the sequel trilogy never made it to the screen, but the new Star Wars animated series, Maul – Shadow Lord, is surprisingly drawing inspiration from them. The show features Darth Maul and, it appears, Darth Talon, and is set during the height of the Empire’s power, not after its fall. It reimagines Maul as a powerful crime lord, giving the character a much larger role than his short appearance in the live-action films – essentially giving him the spotlight he deserved.

What Star Wars movie or show are you looking forward to the most? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-01-13 23:40