Are you able to think about a world with out the Star Wars sequel trilogy? Creator George Lucas may, which is why he declared quickly after 2005’s “Revenge of the Sith” that Lucasfilm can be specializing in TV as an alternative. However with the long-in-development Star Wars Underworld years away, many had been questioning if it actually was the top of seeing Star Wars on the large display.
In a shock transfer that finally scuppered Lucas’ imaginative and prescient for the franchise, Disney would purchase Lucasfilm in 2012, and a complete new sequel trilogy was created as an alternative. Retrospective reactions to those are nonetheless blended, particularly “Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker” because of its uneven plot factors, disappointing ending to the saga, and the iconically unhealthy line, “One way or the other, Palpatine returned.” To say the Skywalker Saga on a disappointing notice can be an understatement.
However earlier than the Home of Mouse took the reins, Lucas revealed in The Star Wars Archives that he had been engaged on a brand new sequel trilogy of his personal. Some fascinating plot factors have leaked since this revelation, however essentially the most shocking one was of Darth Maul being the large unhealthy all through these films. Having been ‘killed’ by Obi-Wan in Star Wars: Episode I, then revived within the Clone Wars animated sequence as a spider, the exiled Sith has seen all of it, after which some.
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He’s additionally showing in a brand new animated sequence airing on Disney+ in April, known as “Maul: Shadow Lord“. Set a yr after the “Clone Wars” ending, the present will see him construct up his legal empire whereas looking for and practice an apprentice.
Seeing pink
Particulars are nonetheless scarce, however Lucas’ thought for his Sequel Trilogy would rediscover Maul as a Crime Boss, based mostly in Coruscant, alongside along with his apprentice, Darth Talon.
In a e-book known as The Star Wars Archives: 1999-2005, Lucas outlined his imaginative and prescient for a way Maul would work within the films. “VII, VIII, and IX would take concepts from what occurred after the Iraq Struggle. Stormtroopers would refuse to surrender when the Republic gained after VI. They wish to be Stormtroopers endlessly, so that they go to a far nook of the galaxy, begin their very own nation, and their very own rise up.”
Lucas continues, explaining how Maul and others would benefit from this energy vacuum. “Gangsters, just like the Hutts, are benefiting from the scenario, and there’s chaos. The important thing individual is Darth Maul, who had been resurrected within the animated Clone Wars sequence – he brings all of the gangs collectively.”
“Darth Maul educated a woman known as Darth Talon, who was within the comedian books, as his apprentice. She was the brand new Darth Vader, and a lot of the motion was along with her. So that they had been the 2 major villains of the trilogy. Maul ultimately turns into the godfather of crime within the universe as a result of, because the Empire falls, he takes over.”
It’s an fascinating idea, as Lucas’ imaginative and prescient doubtlessly exhibits one other facet of the Star Wars universe that was by no means seen in-depth, particularly with the Underworld TV Collection being placed on hiatus round 2009.
Lucas additionally disclosed that Luke can be coaching a brand new era of Jedi, while Episodes VIII and IX would reveal Leia to be the Chosen One, ultimately main the New Republic as Supreme Chancellor. This half is not one million parsecs away from the place the precise sequel trilogy ended up, and whereas Lucas’ concepts for a trilogy would have been an fascinating watch, we do not assume Maul would have labored because the central villain.
A Mauling?
Maul is likely one of the most iconic (and coolest) villains in Star Wars historical past, so why are we poo-pooing the concept of him as the first antagonist? His stint within the Clone Wars animated sequence, for one factor.
Do not get us mistaken, his arc throughout the sequence is phenomenal. Maul’s return in Season 3 of Clone Wars in 2011, by being revived by witches known as Nightsisters on Dathomir, was well-received by followers. Voiced by Sam Witwer, who has an impressive understanding of the Star Wars universe, Maul is totally insane upon his revival, and this thread of insanity carries by way of to the place we final noticed him, within the closing episodes of Clone Wars.
He’s damaged, rageful, calculating — all attributes that make sense for his arc right here — however he by no means provides off the primary villain power required to hold three films. In the end, Maul works for himself, and his makes an attempt to take management of the galaxy along with his brother Savage, blew up in his face. It felt extra like a tragic cleaning soap opera than every little thing continuing as foreseen. He was given new depth within the Clone Wars, nevertheless it was rooted in hate in the direction of Obi-Wan, slightly than a connection to the Skywalker legacy.
There’s additionally the difficulty of homework; a whole lot of Star Wars followers merely have little interest in watching the animated sequence and different spinoffs required to maintain up with Maul’s character arc. To them, the final time they noticed Maul was watching his bifurcated physique tumbling into oblivion on the finish of Episode 1.
Even along with his cameo on the finish of “Solo”, asking audiences to just accept his silver display return, full along with his fleshy legs again in place, would have been as ridiculous as anticipating them to purchase Palpatine returning… by some means.
Have a look at the Scarlet Witch debacle within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. To know 2022’s Physician Unusual: Multiverse of Insanity, you needed to watch 2020’s WandaVision TV present to search out out why she was crossing many universes to search out her youngsters. This spiraling interconnected internet of plotlines had been the downfall of the MCU post-Endgame, and it isn’t a technique Star Wars needs to be repeating. And sure, we are saying this whereas giving some severe side-eye to The Mandalorian and Grogu, the upcoming Star Wars film that requires you to look at a number of Disney+ exhibits to know the plot happening.
Sustaining the eye of viewers is tougher than ever in 2026. They wish to sit down and watch one thing with out feeling required to soak up different content material to know some context.
Past all that, although, Maul’s canon ending is ideal within the “Star Wars: Rebels” episode Twin Suns. Set 5 years earlier than “Episode IV: A New Hope”, the episode sees Maul lastly get his showdown with an older Obi-Wan.
Maul’s story didn’t want to hold on in a Sequel Trilogy, for the sake of a narrative rhyme; it wouldn’t have labored. His place is within the shadows, an offended ex-Sith, discovering his place on the planet, his path winding, till it took him proper again to the place we first noticed him, in a lethal battle towards a Jedi Grasp.
The Disney sequel trilogy was an admittedly blended affair, and the frustration of Episode IX can’t be overstated, however the story of the mainline Star Wars films is in regards to the Skywalker household, and never the rogues’ gallery they encountered alongside the best way.
Hopefully, that is what we’ll see when the present drops subsequent month, and that’s the correct transfer. As Maul himself as soon as mentioned, “Each selection you may have made has led you to this second.”
We stay up for seeing the alternatives he made that led him to that fateful evening on Tatooine when “Maul: Shadow Lord” releases on Disney+ in April.
