Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord Team Reveal How George Lucas’ Original Plan Influenced New Series

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In an interview with ComicBook to promote the release of Shadow Lord (streaming on Disney+ April 6th), members of the creative team discussed how old conversations between Lucas and Dave Filoni influenced the show. “It’s something that we always keep in mind, and we’re curious to see what the fans think in terms of how much you believe we’ve utilized,” said executive producer Matt Michnovetz, who previously wrote an unaired Maul arc for The Clone Wars. Michnovetz went on to say it was the team’s goal to ensure Shadow Lord was accessible to all viewers regardless of their level of Star Wars knowledge.

Executive producer Brad Rau also discussed the influence star Sam Witwer had on the series. “We show a little bit of a vulnerable side of Maul. He’s still a badass, but we get into some of the vulnerability of him,” he said, cautious to not give too much away.

How George Lucas Inspired Maul – Shadow Lord

Michnovetz didn’t go into detail about which specific Lucas ideas the Shadow Lord team brought to the screen, but we can make educated guesses based on what we know about Lucas’ concept for the sequel trilogy. Lucas actually envisioned Maul as the sequel trilogy’s main antagoinst, positioning him as a powerful crime lord opposing Leia and the New Republic. Shadow Lord, which is set during the reign of the Empire, obviously is not a 1:1 adaptation of that concept, but the bare bones are there. In the new series, Maul looks to take down the Imperials in an act of revenge against Palpatine.

It’s a fascinating idea for Star Wars to explore. Dating back to A New Hope, the galactic underworld has always had a presence, but it’s rarely been the primary focus of an on-screen project. Lucas’ sequel trilogy would have been a way to push this fan-favorite element to the forefront, allowing for a more comprehensive portrayal of how the criminal world operates in the galaxy far, far away. It also would have fixed one of the biggest problems with the prequel trilogy: Maul’s minor role. The Clone Wars and Rebels went a long way in redeeming the character, but he never got another opportunity to shine on the big screen (surprise cameo in Solo: A Star Wars Story notwithstanding).

The character of Devon Izara also has roots in Lucas’ sequel trilogy. Lucas had envisioned giving Maul an apprentice, a Twi’lek named Darth Talon. It perhaps isn’t a coincidence that Devon is a Force-sensitive Twi’lek who crosses paths with Maul, believing he could possibly be an ally in her fight against the Empire. Again, it isn’t an exact translation of what Lucas had in mind, but the influence is clear. These are all nice ways for the Maul – Shadow Lord team to bring the franchise full circle, leaning into some of Lucas’ final ideas while putting their own spin on things to fit the current canon.

In some ways, Shadow Lord might even improve upon Lucas’ ideas for the sequel trilogy. Since Maul is the titular character, he gets to be the main focus in an on-screen project for the first time. This means the creative team had the freedom to do a deep dive into his character, exploring his personal struggles as he attempts to take control of the underworld (something that might not have been possible if he was the main foil for Leia, as was the case in Lucas’ sequel trilogy). Witwer’s contributions centering on Maul’s vulnerabilities should be the driving force here, and it’ll be exciting to see how Shadow Lord adds depth to an already captivating character.

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