The creators and talent behind the latest Star Wars animated series invite you to join the former Sith Lord on Janix with the two-episode series premiere April 6, 2026, on Disney+.
Maul could be described in many ways. A terrifying and agile lightsaber duelist. A menacing creature of the dark side. Add to that relatable and worthy of our sympathy.
With his first starring role in Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, the animated series introduces a new chapter in the former Sith Lord’s story, a few years after his old Master Darth Sidious succeeded in launching the Imperial era. Created by Lucasfilm President and Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni and starring Sam Witwer with snarling precision, Maul – Shadow Lord introduces a new cast of characters struggling to survive in the early days of the Empire.
“I think people feel bad for Maul because he's so relatable,” Filoni tells StarWars.com. “He makes mistakes. He's not perfect. He desires power, and then he gets toppled. That's relatable. You know, we all probably feel like that when we have a low moment. He just doesn't deal with it well. He keeps trying to attack his problems the same way. He can't ever really let go of his hatred and his anger.”
To bring this new era of Maul’s quest for power and revenge into focus, Head Writer Matthew Michnovetz and Supervising Director Brad Rau have assembled a crew of phenomenal newcomers and recognizable Star Wars animation stalwarts to round out the cast.
“We have a dream cast,” Rau tells StarWars.com. “I can't imagine any of these characters being played by anybody else. They're incredible and it starts at the top with Sam Witwer. We've had the greatest time working with him and collaborating with him to keep the character authentic.”
“Despite playing a former Sith Lord, he's kind of like our Jedi Master,” adds Michnovetz. “He knows what he's doing, he knows Star Wars and he's just remarkable. Everybody on the cast is exceptional.”
Read on for more insights from the cast and crew as well as a closer look at the first Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord character posters below.
Sam Witwer - Maul
No longer Darth, now simply Maul. With a nightmarish visage and a devilish demeanor, Maul remains a fan-favorite among the storied Star Wars villains for a number of reasons. The iconic character design was first introduced in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, when most viewers thought Maul had surely perished in a duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi. Over the years, we’ve witnessed Maul on the edge of insanity in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and consumed by revenge in Star Wars Rebels; in both cases, actor Sam Witwer provided the vocal talents to brilliantly bring the character’s cunning menace to life.
“With Maul, we've seen his beginnings and we have the ending,” Witwer says. “What happened to him in between?”
Set a few years into the creation of the Empire, Maul - Shadow Lord picks up at a time where we can begin to unravel some of that mystery. Witwer notes that this version of Maul is still reeling from the loss of his brother, Savage Opress, and Mother Talzin not so far in the distant past. In this new world order, Maul finds an opening for his machinations within the seedy underbelly of Janix, among the underworld kingpins. “In [Maul - Shadow Lord], he has a crew of very colorful, interesting characters,” Witwer says. “For me, it was the promise that we were going to dig into [Maul] and answer the questions of how he changed so drastically into the Rebels version of the character.”
Witwer brings more than a decade of experience voicing Maul to the role, and the intensity of an actor who has worked with Filoni to explore Maul’s interior life. “I feel like I know this guy pretty well at this point,” Witwer says, using The Lord of the Rings’ Gollum and Sméagol as a touchstone to understanding Maul on an emotional level. “He has the same type of feelings that you and I have, but he doesn't have the tools to express those. All he has in front of him are supervillain tools.”
Lucky for Maul, he has the leadership qualities to keep a small collective loyal to his cause. “He is charismatic, amazingly powerful, and talented,” Filoni adds. “These are all appealing things.”
Add to that a changing galaxy, now under the iron fist of the Empire. “It's shortly after the conclusion of the Clone Wars and he's in a place of reassessment,” Witwer says. “He doesn't know which end is up. It's a time of change in this Star Wars galaxy.”
Gideon Adlon - Devon Izara
It wasn’t long ago that Devon Izara was a Jedi Padawan studying with her Master Eeko-Dio Daki. Now the pair are on the run from the Empire and forced into hiding on the world of Janix. The young Twi’lek is an adept fighter, defending herself with her blue lightsaber when needed. But according to voice actor Gideon Adlon, she’s also dealing with some regular young adult emotions as she struggles to find her footing in this new world order.
“Devon Izara is a Jedi in a post-Order 66 world and she is filled with angst,” Adlon says. “She's a teenage girl living in a world where she's trying to decipher right from wrong.”
Like Maul, her character’s relatability has been resonating with the cast and crew. “Everyone in the room and the [recording] booth has been relating to Devon, which is very special,” Adlon says. “She makes me feel like I'm doing what I should be doing. Because of the things I've been through as a young girl, when I was a teenager, and as a woman, she came very easy to me. I feel like she's like my sister. We're very much a part of each other.”
Rau notes that Adlon was a fast learner. “Gideon is a rising star,” Rau says. “She's really powerful in the role of Devon and the way that she works with all of the different cast members and you see her arc through the season is pretty awesome.”
“When we talk about creating a scene that will match her potential and her talent or skill, it's difficult because she's so talented and so skilled at what she does,” Michnovetz adds. “Maul and Devon is one of the more important relationships in the series and we're excited for fans to see it. This is not going to go the way you think it is.”
Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord presents fans with a pulpy adventure that finds Maul plotting to rebuild his criminal syndicate on a planet untouched by the Empire. There, he crosses paths with a disillusioned young Jedi Padawan who may just be the apprentice he is seeking to aid him in his relentless pursuit for revenge.
The cast includes Sam Witwer as Maul, Gideon Adlon as Devon Izara, recent Golden Globe® winner and Oscar® nominee Wagner Moura as Brander Lawson, Richard Ayoade as Two-Boots, Dennis Haysbert as Master Eeko-Dio Daki, Chris Diamantopoulos as Looti Vario, Charlie Bushnell as Rylee Lawson, Vanessa Marshall as Rook Kast, David W. Collins as Spybot, A.J. LoCascio as Marrok, and Steve Blum as Icarus.
Created by Dave Filoni, Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord is based on Star Wars and characters created by George Lucas. The series is developed by Dave Filoni and Matt Michnovetz. Brad Rau is supervising director. The executive producers are Dave Filoni, Athena Yvette Portillo, Matt Michnovetz, Brad Rau, Carrie Beck, and Josh Rimes. Alex Spotswood is the co-executive producer.
Watch the latest trailer and get ready. The age of Maul begins with the first two episodes in the series premiering weekly at 12 a.m. PT beginning April 6, 2026, on Disney+ with the finale episodes at 12 a.m. local time on May the 4th, Star Wars Day.
