A new trailer for Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord has been released, and the iconic villain is out to take his revenge on Emperor Palpatine and the Empire, after being shunned by his former Master.
The series, spearheaded by new Lucasfilm co-President Dave Filoni, looks action-packed. Ahsoka fans, meanwhile, will be happy to see that we're going to meet the Sith Inquisitor, Marrok, when he was still among the living (fleshing out his still-mysterious backstory).
Giving Maul some backup will be Jedi Master Eeko-Dio-Daki and Padawan Devon Izara, who are both on the run after Order 66 was enacted. It's an alliance of convenience as they look to take down the Empire, but will young Devon fall to the Dark Side thanks to Maul's influence?
Spending more time with this character is never a bad thing, and this sneak peek sets up what promises to be a compelling story revolving around one of the Star Wars franchise's most popular antagonists.
Following his introduction in The Phantom Menace, Darth Maul's story seemingly ended when Obi-Wan Kenobi sliced the villain in half and sent him tumbling to his apparent demise during the movie's final battle.
The Clone Wars later revealed that Papatine's Sith apprentice had survived, and Maul eventually returned to action thanks to some formidable cybernetic legs.
George Lucas originally planned to depict Maul as "the godfather of crime in the universe" and the Sith Master of Darth Talon in his Star Wars sequel trilogy. Disney decided to head down a different route, and after The Clone Wars, Maul returned in Star Wars Rebels. That's where his tale concluded after one final duel with Obi-Wan on Tatooine.
Solo: A Star Wars Story brought Maul back to a live-action setting, and had that movie received a sequel, chances are we'd have seen more of what he got up to as the leader of Crimson Dawn. This series should help fill in some of the gaps in his history.
Set after the events of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord 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 could be the apprentice he is seeking to aid him in his relentless pursuit of revenge.
The voice cast includes Sam Witwer as Maul, Gideon Adlon as Devon Izara, 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 C. Collins as Spybot, A.J. LoCascio as Marrok, and Steve Blum as Icarus.
Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord premieres on Disney+ on April 6.