Star Wars’ Maul TV Show is the Closest We’ll Ever Get to Two Cancelled George Lucas Stories

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I’m so excited for the new Star Wars series, Maul – Shadow Lord! It’s going to be amazing to finally see Darth Maul take center stage – it’s a story we’ve never gotten before. Honestly, I can’t believe they’re doing this with a character everyone thought was gone after The Phantom Menace back in ’99. I remember when George Lucas brought him back for The Clone Wars, and even that felt like a gift! But a whole show starring Maul? That’s something I never expected, and I’m totally here for it.

The initial trailer for Maul – Shadow Lord showcases a unique animation style for Lucasfilm. It’s visually impressive and introduces a Star Wars adventure set during the dark times of the Empire, where Maul tries to rebuild his criminal empire. While we know this story eventually leads to the downfall of his Crimson Dawn organization (as seen in Solo: A Star Wars Story and later Star Wars Rebels), the trailer promises an exciting and authentically *Star Warsstyle experience.

Janix is the Perfect Payoff for Star Wars: Underworld

I’m really excited about Maul – Shadow Lord! It takes place on this planet called Janix, and the creators are describing it as a blend of Gotham and Metropolis, but still totally Star Wars. Apparently, it’s a city built inside a crater, completely outside the Empire’s control, which makes it a hotbed for crime. For Maul, it’s a fresh start, a place to hide. What I’m most intrigued by is that this story is diving deep into the criminal underworld – a side of the Star Wars universe we haven’t really seen explored before.

As a huge Star Wars fan, I’m really excited about Maul – Shadow Lord because it feels like the show George Lucas always wanted to make! Back in 2005, he actually announced plans for a live-action Star Wars series, but it unfortunately fell through because of the budget. It was called Star Wars: Underworld, and it would have delved into the grittier, more underground parts of the galaxy, focusing on the lower levels of Coruscant rather than the new planet we see in Shadow Lord.

As a lifelong Star Wars fan, I’ve caught glimpses of what felt like a darker, grittier side of the universe for years, especially during the Disney+ shows. But this new series, Maul – Shadow Lord, feels closer than ever to realizing that vision. Even the unique art style in the trailer reminded me of those fleeting shots we got of Coruscant under Lucas’s direction – that same creative approach. It’s not the Underworld project we all heard about and ultimately never saw, of course, but honestly, I think this is the closest we’ll ever get to experiencing that world.

George Lucas’ Original Sequel Trilogy Plans Are Being Fulfilled in Shadow Lord

Beyond Underworld, George Lucas had extensive plans for the continuation of the Star Wars saga. As detailed in Paul Duncan’s The Star Wars Archives 1999-2005, Lucas initially envisioned Darth Maul as the primary villain for a new trilogy, portraying him as a crime boss ultimately defeated by Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa after the Empire’s fall. Many of these ideas were later incorporated into The Clone Wars, though the timeline was shifted to show Maul becoming a crime lord much earlier in the Star Wars universe.

Lucas originally planned for Darth Maul to have an apprentice, and he was particularly fond of a character named Darth Talon. Talon, a red-skinned Twi’lek assassin from earlier stories, was redesigned to fit this role as Maul’s protégé, potentially carrying on his Sith teachings. The trailer for Maul – Shadow Lord introduces a red-skinned Twi’lek apprentice, Devon Izara, a former Jedi who miraculously survived Order 66 and is now being trained in the ways of the Sith.

We once believed that Star Wars: The Bad Batch marked the end of George Lucas’s creative involvement with the franchise, as it was the last show based directly on his ideas – he originally conceived of the Clone Force 99. However, that assessment was too soon. Lucasfilm now plans to continue celebrating Lucas’s vision with Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan leading the way. Maul – Shadow Lord is actually built on two concepts Lucas had previously developed, making it a fitting continuation of his work.

What are your thoughts on the Maul – Shadow Lord trailer? Share your opinions in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-01-26 17:14