Darth Maul Returns In Animated Series Trailer

You can’t keep a good Sith down. Even a really bad one.

I’m so excited! Even though Darth Maul seemingly died in The Phantom Menace over 25 years ago (sorry for any spoilers!), he’s kept popping up in animated series and live-action shows. And now, he’s finally getting his own series! It’s an animated show called Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord coming to Disney+, and I can’t wait to see his story explored even further.

I’ve been following the story after the Clone Wars, and it’s really cool to see Maul trying to build a whole criminal empire. What’s even better is that Sam Witwer is voicing him again! He did such a great job as Maul in The Clone Wars animated series, and even had a small role voicing him in Solo: A Star Wars Story, so it’s awesome to hear his voice bring the character to life again.

Dave Filoni, a veteran of the Star Wars universe and the creative force behind The Clone Wars animated series—and now a key creative leader at Lucasfilm—created the series. You can watch the trailer for Maul – Shadow Lord below.

There’s a new poster for the series as well.

Darth Maul is a surprisingly enduring character, considering he’s mostly known for his striking appearance. His unique look – the horns, tattoos, and double-bladed lightsaber – creates a truly memorable and intimidating figure. Beyond that visual impact, it’s always been a bit puzzling why he keeps reappearing in Star Wars stories. But perhaps for a character meant to be a shadowy, enigmatic villain, a cool design is enough to keep audiences interested, especially in animated series.

Here is the series’ official synopsis:

Following the events of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” this action-packed story centers on Maul as he attempts to restore his criminal organization on a remote planet the Empire hasn’t reached. There, he meets a discouraged Jedi learner who might become the apprentice he needs to fuel his ongoing quest for revenge.

The new Star Wars series, Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, will begin streaming on Disney+ on April 6th with the release of two episodes. Each week after that, two more episodes will be added, leading up to the final episode on May 4th.

20 Actors You Forgot Were in Star Wars

Michael Biehn

Michael Biehn, a well-known actor in science fiction thanks to roles in films like The Terminator and Aliens, appeared in Season 2 of The Mandalorian. He played Lang, a tough mercenary who works for Morgan Elsbeth. His character eventually meets—and is ultimately killed by—the Mandalorian, a common fate for guest stars on TV shows.

Jack Black (and Lizzo!)

One of the most surprising cameos ever in Star Wars happened in Season 3 of The Mandalorian. When Mando and his team landed on the planet Plazir-15, they discovered it was governed by none other than Jack Black and Lizzo! While some might find the casting unusual, the pair definitely seemed to fit the roles of quirky space leaders.

Rose Byrne

Before becoming famous in movies like Insidious and Bridesmaids, Rose Byrne had a small, uncredited role in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. She appeared as one of Senator Amidala’s handmaidens in an early scene, and doesn’t exactly look overjoyed to be there.

Jodie Comer

Fans who watched the quick flashback to Rey’s childhood in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker may have recognized Jodie Comer (from Killing Eve) as her mother. Rey’s father, Dathan, is connected to Emperor Palpatine, and Comer’s character, Miramir, married him despite his family’s dark legacy. It seems she has a knack for choosing questionable partners!

Jon Favreau

Jon Favreau is a familiar face in the world of Star Wars. He created the hit show The Mandalorian and even provided the voice for the character Pre Vizsla. But before that, in the year leading up to The Mandalorian‘s debut, he voiced Rio, a character who was part of Tobias Beckett’s team. While Rio’s story ended tragically, Favreau’s Star Wars journey continues – he’s now writing and directing a movie featuring The Mandalorian and Grogu.

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Several well-known actors have also appeared in the animated Star Wars series. Many fans who only watch the live-action movies and shows might not realize that Sarah Michelle Gellar, famous for playing Buffy, voiced the villain Seventh Sister in season two of Star Wars Rebels. She appeared in six episodes and delivered a really strong performance as the Inquisitor – it’s worth checking out some clips!

Keira Knightley

Just in case you’ve forgotten, the plot of The Phantom Menace relies on Queen Amidala cleverly disguising herself. She uses look-alikes – handmaidens who resemble her perfectly – to fool everyone. For a good portion of the movie, the Jedi and young Anakin interact with one of these handmaidens, Padmé, without realizing Padmé is actually the queen! She’s a ruler who prefers to connect with people directly. Meanwhile, another handmaiden is pretending to be Amidala, and that role was played by a young Keira Knightley before she became famous in Pirates of the Caribbean. They really did look alike at that age!

John Leguizamo

You wouldn’t be alone if you missed actor John Leguizamo in season two of The Mandalorian! He played the character Gor Koresh in the episode “The Marshal,” but with green skin, a combover, a potbelly, and only one eye, he was hard to recognize. Gor Koresh was a troublemaker who got into a conflict with Mando over his beskar armor.

Christopher Lloyd

Wow, it’s Christopher Lloyd! He recently made a guest appearance on The Mandalorian in Season 3, Episode 6, “Guns For Hire.” He played Commissioner Helgait, the head of security on the planet Plazir-15 – which is run by Lizzo and Jack Black. In the episode, Mando and his team uncover Helgait’s plot and bring peace back to the planet. What a memorable week for The Mandalorian fans!

Tim Meadows

Season 3 of The Mandalorian really delivered with its surprise appearances! In the episode “The Pirate,” Tim Meadows, known from Saturday Night Live, showed up as Colonel Tuttle, a New Republic official. He doubted Carson Teva’s concerns about the Empire possibly returning after Return of the Jedi. Honestly, the idea of Palpatine coming back is just absurd! Isn’t it?

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of the hit musicals In the Heights and Hamilton, initially worked with Star Wars by writing a song for the cantina scene in The Force Awakens. As a thank you, he got a small role in The Rise of Skywalker. You can see him briefly during the celebratory scene after the final battle, as Rose is hugging Chewbacca.

Simon Pegg

You might not know this, but the actor who played Unkar Plutt – the junk dealer in Star Wars who barters with Rey – was Simon Pegg, known for his roles in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. Pegg actually suggested a scene where Plutt angrily confronts Rey about the Millennium Falcon. They filmed it, but it didn’t make the final cut. The scene was pretty intense – Chewbacca ended up ripping Plutt’s arm off! That’s a quarter of his body!

Stephen Root

The series The Book of Boba Fett also featured some unexpected celebrity appearances. In the third episode, “The Streets of Mos Espa,” Boba Fett met a water seller named Lortha Peel, who needed help with a gang that was stealing from him. Instead of eliminating the gang as Peel requested, Boba Fett gave them employment and then held Peel accountable for his high prices. The role of Peel was played by Stephen Root, a well-known actor from the TV show NewsRadio and films like Dodgeball, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and Office Space. Perhaps if Peel had offered Boba Fett his red stapler as a gift, he might have been more willing to help with the gangsters.

George Takei

As a huge fan of both Star Trek and Star Wars, I was genuinely surprised to learn about George Takei’s connection to both franchises! Most people know him as Sulu from Star Trek – he played him in so many episodes and all those classic movies. But did you know he actually voiced an alien general, Lok Durd, in an episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars? It’s a fun little bit of trivia for any sci-fi buff like me!

Sophie Thatcher

Remember those gangsters Stephen Root’s character wanted to eliminate in The Book of Boba Fett? One of the actors playing them is Sophie Thatcher, who you might recognize from Yellowjackets, as well as the horror films Heretic and Companion. It would have been really cool if she’d played a character like Black Krrsantan instead.

Justin Theroux

In The Last Jedi, the Resistance tries to enlist a codebreaker, played by Benicio del Toro, but they initially pursue the wrong man – a stylish character with a white suit and a black streak in his hair, portrayed by Justin Theroux of The Leftovers. Rose and Finn are arrested before they can convince him to join their side, and the character is never even given a name. He’s only known as “Master Codebreaker” online, and reports say Justin Theroux was cast in the role just one day before filming.

Danny Trejo

The recent episode of The Book of Boba Fett, starring Stephen Root and Sophie Thatcher, ends with Boba Fett winning a fight against two Hutt twins. As a peace offering, they give him a rancor, which is expertly handled by veteran actor Danny Trejo. Trejo is well-known for playing tough characters in films like Heat, xXx, and many movies directed by Robert Rodriguez, including Desperado, Grindhouse, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Spy Kids, and Machete. And who directed this particular episode of Boba Fett? You guessed it – Robert Rodriguez!

Titus Welliver

Titus Welliver is an actor known for his roles in shows like Lost and Sons of Anarchy. He’s particularly famous for playing the lead in the Bosch and Bosch: Legacy detective series. More recently, he appeared in the popular Disney+ show The Mandalorian’s third season, in the episode “The Heiress,” playing an Imperial Captain who works with the villain Moff Gideon. (For fun, let’s call his character Captain B’Osch!).

Dominic West

Before becoming famous as Detective Jimmy McNulty in The Wire, Dominic West had a small role in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. He appears as one of the palace guards during the scene where Anakin visits Padmé. You can briefly see him in the beginning, when a guard stops Anakin from immediately entering Padmé’s door – that’s actually Dominic West!

2026-01-22 21:29