At Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo earlier this year, Sam Witwer confirmed a new animated series, Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, in which he will be reprising his role as the titular former Sith, following his work in The Clone Wars, Rebels, and the film Solo.
Shadow Lord is set to follow directly after the events of The Clone Wars, continuing Maul’s story as he attempts to rebuild his criminal empire on a planet not yet under Imperial control. It will use the same animation style seen in The Clone Wars, The Bad Batch, and Tales of the Jedi. The series is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ in 2026.
Now, it has been revealed that, ahead of that show, Marvel Comics will release a five-issue prequel miniseries, “Star Wars: Shadow of Maul”, in March 2026.
Written by Benjamin Percy with art by Madibek Musabekov, the story will be a crime-focused adventure with noir elements, exploring the intersections of criminal syndicates and law enforcement.
Developed in coordination with Lucasfilm, the comic is designed to set the stage for Shadow Lord and expand on Maul’s efforts to regain power in a galaxy on the brink of Imperial domination.
With the animated series and now the upcoming prequel comic, Maul’s journey from a shadowed Sith apprentice to a formidable crime lord will gain new depth, offering fans both old and new a closer look at one of Star Wars’ most enduring and iconic villains.
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Maul is one of the most recognizable characters in the Star Wars universe. He first appeared on the big screen in The Phantom Menace (1999) as a largely silent Sith apprentice serving Sheev Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). Physically portrayed by Ray Park and voiced by Peter Serafinowicz, his brief but striking presence left a lasting impression.
The character’s story expanded dramatically with The Clone Wars, which revealed that he survived being cut in half by Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) in the 1999 film. Voiced by Sam Witwer, Maul became one of the series’ most complex villains, with a narrative weight comparable to the rise of Ahsoka Tano.
Witwer later reprised the role in Rebels, and his character even appeared briefly in live-action at the end of Solo: A Star Wars Story, once again voiced by Witwer and physically portrayed by Park, now leading the criminal syndicate Crimson Dawn.
The animated series will premiere on Disney+ in 2026.
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