Star Wars is one of the most popular sci-fi franchises in the entire world. Since the original trilogy was released, the series has only grown in popularity and has developed a truly expansive media library. One of the most beloved aspects of the franchise is the animated universe headed by Dave Filoni, and the franchise has just received a trailer for what could be its final installment.
Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord is one of the most highly anticipated shows since the character made an appearance in Clone Wars. Fans have been begging for the character to get a standalone series and now Filoni has delivered. The first trailer for Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord didn't provide much, but seasoned fans have definitely seen enough to get excited.
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Darth Maul Is Finally Being Given His Own Solo Series After Years of Fan Outcry
Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord Will Bridge the Gap Between Clone Wars and Rebels
Following his debut in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Darth Maul quickly became one of the most popular Star Wars characters in the franchise. His design is incredibly cool, unique, and coupled with his iconic weapon of choice, there's really no surprise he is one of the most popular characters in the universe. Despite his apparent acclaim, Maul has never been given a solo series – until now.
Throughout Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Maul escapes death several times. It's like his very hatred fuels him and keeps him from dying. Despite being bisected in The Phantom Menace, he comes back stronger than ever in The Clone Wars only to be defeated again by the same Jedi. However, now that Obi-Wan Kenobi has gone into hiding, there are very few capable of stopping the rogue Sith.
‘This Is A Little Scary’ Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord Actor Teases About The Show’s Plot
One of the Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord stars shared that the upcoming animated TV series will be a battle between the ”bad” and “worse guys.”
Maul appears in every major adaption of the FIloni-verse, save Bad Batch, so it's not out of the question for Maul to get his own series. Based on the trailer, Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord Trailer will likely bridge the gap between The Clone Wars and Rebels. As long as the series doesn't somehow violate its own cannon, everything should proceed without a hitch.
Since fans know Maul's past and immediate future, there's only so much the series can cover. Clearly, that won't prevent the series from providing said fans with non-stop action and another rise to power for Palpatine's abandoned apprentice. If showrunners are OK with giving incredible sequences like that away in the trailer, the series is likely even more impressive.
The Series Will Take Place In New Parts of Familiar Locals
Coruscant Might Play a Large Part in the Upcoming Series
From the trailer alone, most of the series appears to take place on Coruscant. Coruscant is one of the largest planets in the core, and easily one of the most populated. Yet, its many layers mean that fans haven't seen a majority of the planet. Nearly every Star Wars project includes Coruscant, but almost every single one shows a different part.
The trailer also shows a conflict on a heavily forested planet which s ome have theorized is Kashyyyk. Kashyyyk is the Wookie's home planet and has only been explored briefly in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and the video game Star Wars Jedi: The Fallen Order. If Maul manages to hide on Kashyyyk, it would make sense that he would be able to build a criminal organization, without being detected by the empire.
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Since the Star Wars universe is so expansive, there's truly no telling what planets the series could take place on. Many planets have familiar biomes, but drastically different flora and fauna. Until the series begins, the audience won't know for sure what planet Maul could make his home base.
From Solo: A Star Wars Story, fans know that Maul ends up on Dathomir, but there is no telling how he might've gotten there. The trailer does show a dathomiri warrior for a split second. Based on this evidence, it's entirely possible Maul might make the transition within the new series.
The Crux of the Series Will Likely Follow Maul's Struggle to Found the Crimson Dawn
The Trailer Makes it Clear that Jedi Aren't the Only People Suffering
The series is likely to include a mix of new and old characters, but Maul will probably be the only classic character of importance. Several inquisitors make an appearance in the trailer, including the eighth and eleventh brother, but they probably won't have much of an impact. Given the fluidness of the era the show is in, there's absolutely no telling who might make a cameo appearance.
Many fans are assuming that Vader and The Emperor will make small cameos, and they probably aren't wrong. The Emperor is crucial to Maul's story, so it wouldn't make sense for them to go the entire series without interacting. Palpatine might've chosen a new apprentice, but he is still very competitive. Another Sith gaining power just wouldn't sit right with him.
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The trailer has already made it clear that the show is willing to depict the emperor's full reign of terror. Maul makes it very clear that the Jedi aren't the only ones suffering. While it initially appears as though Maul is talking about himself, he's likely talking about the entire galaxy. WIth Palpatine in charge, no one but the Emperor and those that help him benefit.
Even if several important characters make slight cameo appearances, the trailer makes it clear that Maul will remain the main focus. Showrunners know what the audience has come for. Maul might not be a protagonist in the traditional sense, but his journey will be entertaining to watch at the very least. There's absolutely no telling what's in store for the risen Sith in what could be the last installment of the Filoni-verse
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There's No Telling What Could Happen to the Filoni-Verse After Kathleen Kennedy's Resignation
At this point, there is no concrete evidence that Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord will be the last Filoni-verse project, but it would make sense. Now that Kathleen Kennedy is gone, Filoni will probably have to take a more supportive role in all the Star Wars circles. This means he might not have the time to figurehead important projects like his own animated universe.
There is an air of uncertainty surrounding the series, but many fans remain optimistic. It appears as though the Filoni-verse is one of the only consistently successful aspects of the Star Wars world, and it would make sense to end on a high note. However, DIsney has consistently shown that if something makes money, it probably won't be ending anytime soon.
Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord could end up becoming the most popular of the Star Wars spin-off shows. The series features one of the franchise's most popular characters at the helm, and a realm of endless possibilities to cover. Fans have long wondered how Maul was able to gain a second criminal empire, and it appears like Filoni is ready to show them. Hopefully his idea for the animated series can live up to the endless hype surrounding the character.
- Release Date
- 2008 - 2020-00-00
- Network
- Cartoon Network, Netflix, Disney+
- Showrunner
- Dave Filoni
- Directors
- Brian Kalin O'Connell, Steward Lee, Giancarlo Volpe, Bosco Ng, Danny Keller, Rob Coleman, Justin Ridge, Nathaniel Villanueva, Saul Ruiz, Jesse Yeh, Duwayne Dunham, Atsushi Takeuchi, Robert Dalva, Walter Murch
- Writers
- Katie Lucas, Christian Taylor, Brent V. Friedman, Matt Michnovetz, Drew Z. Greenberg, Steven Melching, Chris Collins, Charles Murray, Eoghan Mahony, Bonnie Mark, Craig W. Van Sickle, Daniel Arkin, Jose Molina, Steven Long Mitchell, Cameron Litvack, George Krstic, Carl Ellsworth, Craig Titley, Julie Siege, Jonathan W. Rinzler, Ben Edlund, Douglas Petrie, Kevin D. Campbell, Kevin Rubio
WHERE TO WATCH
- Cast
- Tom Kane, Matt Lanter, James Arnold Taylor, Dee Bradley Baker, Ashley Eckstein, Matthew Wood, Corey Burton, Terrence 'T.C.' Carson, Catherine Taber, Ian Abercrombie, Tim Curry, Ben Diskin, Gwendoline Yeo, Anna Graves, David Tennant, Tasia Valenza, Bob Bergen, Liam Neeson, Stephen Stanton, Tom Kenny, George Takei, Mark Hamill, James Marsters, Greg Ellis, Alec Medlock
- Franchise(s)
- Star Wars
