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Star Wars and Disney Plus have gone hand-in-hand for over half a decade. Just as Marvel Studios has, the Lucasfilm franchise has successfully brought one of the most successful silver screen sagas to the small screen to tell a host of new stories via the now-iconic streaming service. It hasn't been completely smooth-sailing, but for the most part, it has marked a gripping new chapter in the ancient Star Wars lore, providing us with plenty of thrilling new stories in that galaxy so far, far away.

We've even seen some Star Wars legends headline their own Disney Plus shows along the way. Obi-Wan Kenobi returned for his own series, with Ewan McGregor reprising the role for the first time in nearly 20 years. Meanwhile, names in the franchise that were so well-known to the most devoted of fans now got to be showcased to wider audiences in The Book of Boba Fett,...

The Mandalorian is about to move from Disney+ to the big screen next year with the premiere of The Mandalorian and Grogu. Even then, its impact on television is enduring, and the show has received numerous awards and cultivated a loyal fan base.

Although The Mandalorian has been part of Star Wars canon since 2019, certain questions about the series remain unanswered, and we hope Jon Favreau will answer them in the movie.

Here are 5 questions we have about The Mandalorian 5 years after its premiere.

Darth Maul in Sdcc 2025 first look at Star Wars Maul: Shadow Lord starring Sam Witwer. | Image Credit: StarWars.com 1. Why did Grogu trust Din?

The Child had no reason to trust Din Djarin when they met each other at the end of The Mandalorian Chapter 1. It seemed obvious Din was there to capture Grogu and take him back to Nevarro. For many fans, the only reasonable...

Before he sold the Star Wars franchise to Disney, George Lucas had grand plans for the sequel trilogy. These initial plans included a resurrected Darth Maul serving as the primary villain alongside a female Sith apprentice. While Lucas’ idea was scrapped, it will live on through an animated series about Maul.

Maul – Shadow Lord is one of the most ambitious upcoming Star Wars projects. The animated series recently dropped a first look during the San Diego Comic-Con, raising expectations for the project. Here is why Maul – Shadow Lord could be game-changing and even erase The Acolyte‘s failure.

How Maul – Shadow Lord Continues George Lucas’ Star Wars Sequel Idea

Filmmaker George Lucas planned to make a Star Wars sequel trilogy long before selling the franchise’s rights to Disney alongside his company for $4 billion in 2012. In Paul Duncan’s book The Star Wars Archives: 1999-2005, Lucas shared early ideas for his planned sequel trilogy.

Obi-Wan Kenobi sliced Darth Maul in half and sent him tumbling to his death in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. However, at the behest of George Lucas, The Clone Wars animated series later revealed that Senator Papatine's Sith apprentice had survived.

Now rocking a pair of badass cybernetic legs, his story continued there before the villain eventually returned in Star Wars Rebels (which is where his tale also concluded after one final clash with Obi-Wan on Tatooine).

Solo: A Star Wars Story brought Maul back in live-action, 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. Unfortunately, the movie was a box office flop, and fans have been waiting to see Maul return ever since.

Lucasfilm is among the studios skipping this year's San Diego Comic-Con, meaning we can forget about getting any new trailers or casting information.

It's San Diego Comic Con time, and even though Star Wars doesn't have a big presence there this year, that doesn't mean that the galaxy far, far away didn't bring some goodies for fans to see.

Lucasfilm Animation has an exhibit this year, displaying 20 years of Star Wars Animation from the earliest sketches of The Clone Wars and The Bad Batch to peeking ahead to what comes next for the franchise.

This included a first real look at Darth Maul in the upcoming animated series Maul: Shadow Lord, released via StarWars.com.

Darth Maul in Sdcc 2025 first look at Star Wars Maul: Shadow Lord starring Sam Witwer. Image Credit: StarWars.com | starwars.com

The series set to come out next year will showcase the ex-Sith Lord trying to navigate through the underworld during this new Galactic Empire he finds himself in. Sam Witwer shared details about the series, saying...

San Diego Comic-Con has already deliveredthe goods when it comes to Star Wars. Some new art from Lucasfilm's upcoming animated series Maul: Shadow Lord has been spotted at the convention.

Shared on X by The Hollywood Reporter, the new artwork features fan-favorite Sith lord Darth Maul with his double-bladed lightsaber. This marks the first publicly released image for the animated Maul series, although footage from the show was shown exclusively to those in attendance at Star Wars Celebration Japan back in April. The animated series' title card was also unveiled and shared online by Lucasfilm afterward. Maul: Shadow Lord will take place after the events of the beloved Star Wars:The Clone Wars, showing audiences what the former Sith lord was up to during the reign of the Galactic Empire.

Art for the upcoming #StarWars animated show ‘Maul: Shadow Lord’ is on the show floor at #SDCC2025pic.twitter.

If you’ve only seen the Star Wars films, Darth Maul was a seriously cool-looking villain from The Phantom Menace who promptly got sliced in two by Obi-Wan Kenobi – never to be seen again until he (somehow) returned in the final moments of Solo: A Star Wars Story. But those who’ve seen The Clone Wars and Rebels will know there’s much, much more to Maul’s story. He survived being bisected, got spider-robot legs, then got regular-robot legs, sought some Sith artefacts, tried to corrupt the young Ezra Bridger, and eventually had a rematch with Kenobi on Tatooine. And amid all that? He became a crime boss too.

That part of Maul’s long and winding road will be the focus of his upcoming headline animated series, Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord – exploring how the former Sith apprentice became the head of the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate in the galaxy’s expansive underworld.

Star Wars has unveiled a first look at Darth Maul from the upcoming animated TV show Maul: Shadow Lord. Even George Lucas knew he made a mistake killing Darth Maul, and the Sith Apprentice was resurrected in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Maul's story is set to continue in an animated spinoff next year, Maul: Shadow Lord.

Lucasfilm unveiled a new look at Maul: Shadow Lord at San Diego Comic-Con:

First look at the ‘Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord’ animated series. #SDCCReleasing on Disney+ in 2026. pic.twitter.com/1UsRkAeqgm— Screen Rant (@screenrant) July 24, 2025

Darth Sidious' former apprentice is shown with his signature double-bladed lightsaber, and it's interesting to note that his new outfit eschews the traditional hooded look of the Sith. The background is fascinating, with the blood-red colors perhaps signifying a connection to Crimson Dawn, a crime cartel he established during this period.

Maul: Shadow Lord...

Next month's 'Destination D23: A Journey Around the Worlds of Disney' takes place from August 29-31 in Orlando, Florida. According to D23.com, this event is slated as "The Biggest Disney Fan Event of the year", meaning there's something for everyone.

Now that Andor is over, Lucasfilm will likely use D23 as an opportunity to turn the focus to their future projects, including The Mandalorian and Grogu, Ahsoka season 2, Star Wars: Starfighter, Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, the Rey Skywalker movie, and James Mangold's Dawn of the Jedi.

Bits of information about all these projects can be expected, but it's unlikely there will be any footage from most of them. With that said, Lucasfilm won't leave Star Wars fans entirely disappointed, so we can expect to see new content.

Here are the five most probable Star Wars updates fans can expect at D23 next month!

1. A...

Disney+’s Rogue One prequel series, Andor,is arguably one of the most celebrated Star Wars series ever produced. With its massive $650 million budget for 24 episodes over two seasons, it seemed like no expense was spared, even regarding some things that may have gone unnoticed by fans.

Andor’s production designer, Luke Hull, shared a stunning Easter Egg that viewers may have overlooked during the series run. Hull shared the pic via his Instagram.Much like a Disney “Hidden Mickey,” there was a secret picture within a mural depicted on the show.

View this post on InstagramA post shared by Luke (@luke_e_hull) Fan Reaction to the Mosaic

Within a mural of a Ghorlectipod, or Ghorman spider from the planet Ghorman, if one looks closely, the body of the spider is the face of an iconic Star Wars villain - Darth Maul. X (formerly Twitter) user Jammin333 noted that...

Lucasfilm confirmed it will release its fourth villain-focused Disney+ series next year. While fans love watching the good guys of the galaxy far, far away with shows like Andor, The Mandalorian, and Skeleton Crew, there is a kind of simple pleasure that comes with breaking bad every once in a while and putting the dark side of the Force under the spotlight. Thankfully, fans have had plenty of opportunities to indulge in these malevolent pleasures over the last few years. 

A fourth villain-focused Disney+ Star Wars series was officially confirmed and is coming next year. First detailed at Star Wars Celebration in April (read more about the biggest Star Wars Celebration announcements here), Maul: Shadow Lord will be the latest show from a galaxy far, far away to center its story around a villain.

The new show will see voice actor Sam Witwer return to embody the dastardly Dathomirian, picking...

For the fantasy TV fan, Prime Video is essentially a one-stop shop.

The streamer boasts multi-season adaptations for two of the most popular fantasy book series on the market, animated features of a popular D&d campaign and a comic book from the creator of “The Walking Dead.” Whatever flavor of fantasy you’re looking for is likely on Prime Video.

From “Lord of the Rings” to “Invincible,” these are the fantasy shows on Prime Video that you need on your radar.

Josha Stradowski in “The Wheel of Time” (Credit: Prime Video) The Wheel of Time

“The Wheel of Time” is a rare show that improved every season across it’s three-season run on Prime Video. While the first was rocky for both fans of Robert Jordan’s sprawling book series and TV viewers looking for the next “Game of Thrones,” the third – and unfortunately final – season found it’s...

Everyone’s favorite cyborg Sith apprentice is getting his very own animated show. Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord is slated for a 2026 release. Details are currently few and far between, but we know that the series will take place in the Imperial era and that Maul may take on an apprentice of his own.

For now, we are left only to speculate on what the plot details are, but we are able to piece together quite a bit from what little we know, much in thanks to Darth Maul’s longtime voice actor Sam Witwer.

Witwer, who has played various Star Wars roles, first came to be the voice of Maul in season four of The Clone Wars and has portrayed the character ever since. His return in the animated show gave us a deeply expanded view of the character who previously had very little depth. Indeed, in his...

The Star Wars franchise has been political in its design from the get-go. The original trilogy is largely seen as an analogy for the world’s rebellion against the Nazis and Adolf Hitler during World War II and later films and series built on this premise of a rebellion’s fight against a fascist empire.

Political tensions are at a high, especially in Los Angeles, due to the protests against Ice and its process of rounding up illegal immigrants. President Donald Trump has also reportedly deployed the National Guard, and news about excessive violence in the city has been coming out.

Star Wars actor Sam Witwer issued a statement, pledging his support for the protesters and urging the public to be vigilant about narrative-spinning and media trials. He also criticized Donald Trump for his reaction to the issue of illegal immigrants.

Star Wars actor Sam Witwer issues a statement amidst...

Darth Maul (or just Maul for anything that happened after the events of "The Phantom Menace") is one of the most interesting characters in the "Star Wars" universe. Originally a one-and-done villain who was underused in Episode I, George Lucas eventually brought him back in "The Clone Wars" animated series, voiced by Sam Witwer. That completely changed the character's legacy, and now, he's getting his very own series in the form of "Maul - Shadow Lord," which was announced during this year's Star Wars Celebration. While much remains mysterious about the show, Witwer strongly hinted at a key question the show will address.

Speaking with IGN at Star Wars Celebration, Witwer was discussing the show, which is due to arrive on Disney+ next year. A teaser for "Maul - Shadow Lord" suggested that the show will introduce the villain Talon, but for the most part, plot details are being kept under wraps.

Heroes in Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord are few and far between.

Appearing on Katee Sackhoff's podcast, longtime Maul voice actor Sam Witwer addressed what this new chapter in the ex-Sith's life will entail and the challenges confronting Maul as he grows his criminal empire amidst the Galactic Empire's rise. He described the show as battle of "bad guys vs. worse guys, and our bad guys are still bad guys," insisting that Maul's dark edges won't be dulled regardless of his protagonist status.

"This isn’t going to be a show where you find out Maul is 'a real teddy bear, man. That guy, he's just misunderstood. You have to understand... if you have coffee with him, he's really cool.' We’re not doing that," he said, with the novel twist being how Shadow Lord questions "is he as bad as Sidious or Vader? And the answer is 'actually no.

Dave Filoni is creating yet another prequel-era series. Set a year after the end of the Clone Wars and before the events of Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord will follow the former Sith Lord as he builds and establishes his criminal syndicate, Crimson Dawn.

Sam Witwer, who has portrayed Maul since the character's return in The Clone Wars, will reprise the role in the tentative 2026 release.

Maul met a fitting end for the second time at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi, his lifelong arch-nemesis, in the sands of Tatooine. But the death and complexity of the character are gifts that seemingly keep giving, and now we stand on the precipice of having an entire show on him. If you can't believe it, neither could Witwer himself.

During a recent appearance on Katee Sackhoff's (Bo-Katan Kryze) The Sackhoff Show, the 47-year-old actor revealed that the series...

"Andor" overall was quite unlike anything in the "Star Wars" universe before it. A two-season gritty, galactic political drama chronicling the rise of the Rebellion and leading directly up to the events of "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," it's by far the most adult this franchise has ever been. It also wasn't big on cameos or things of that nature, which is the main reason why we didn't see a young Princess Leia, for example. But that doesn't mean there weren't some cameos to look out for; they were just hidden in plain sight.

One of the most impossible to spot cameos came about in "Andor" season 2, episode 4 (titled "Ever Been to Ghorman?"), which helps set the stage for the Ghorman massacre we see in episode 8 (titled "Who Are You?"). In the episode, Cassian (Diego Luna) is tasked with scouting out the people of Ghorman, who are planning to rebel against the Empire.

Back in April during Star Wars Celebration Japan, Lucasfilm announced that a new animated series based on the post-Clone Wars, pre-Star Wars Rebels adventures of Darth Maul was in the works for Disney+.

The synopsis for Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord that was released at the time reads: "After the Clone Wars, Maul plots to rebuild his criminal syndicate on a planet untouched by the Empire. In a new series set after the events of the final season of The Clone Wars, Maul rises again to lead the underworld factions."

The show is believed to be set roughly one year after the events of The Clone Wars, around 19 Bby.

Now, voice actor Sam Witwer has shared some more details, and he clarifies that Maul will not be sanitized or redeemed as some fans feared - although it sounds like the character's humanity will be explored to some extent.

Darth Maul voice actor Sam Witwer raised some eyebrows with some recent comments hyping up his upcoming return as the iconic saber-wielding Sith lord. Witwer has brought the beloved Prequels Era character to life for over a decade, playing him in the animated Star Wars: Clone Wars series, Rebels, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and many other titles. However, he is finally set to get his own solo series as the daring Dathomirian in the upcoming Maul: Shadow Lord—one of many exciting announcements at Star Wars Celebration 2025.

In a recent interview, Sam Witwer provided fans with some of the first details regarding his forthcoming Star Wars return on Disney+. Witwer is set to bring the terrifying Darth Maul to life once again in next year's Maul: Shadow Lord, but exact specifics on the series have remained scarce since its announcement.

Witwer touched on the upcoming animated Darth Maul series...

The scheme team has only three jobs left to pull off before their work is complete for another season on Prime Video. However, there will be a few complications to navigate once an old friend gets involved. Leverage: Redemption Season 3 picks up this week with Episode 8, titled "The Cooling Off the Mark Job," which finds Jack Hurley (Drew Powell) stumbling into a mark out for revenge against the crew, forcing him to take point on the cool off of one of their cons. Despite the best efforts of the team, though, the delicate operation falls apart and soon spins into a brand-new con altogether. In Collider's exclusive sneak peek at the upcoming episode, Christian Kane's ever-reliable hitter Eliot Spencer tries to get things under control and gives Hurley some guidance.

The footage opens with Eliot drying some blood off his face and telling Hurley and another man about...

Noah Wyle has been getting a lot of love and Emmy consideration for his lead role as Dr. Robbie in The Pitt, but this week, he'll be playing the fixer guiding Gina Bellman through her latest operation on Leverage: Redemption. Season 3, Episode 6, titled "The Swipe Right Job," follows the Scheme Team's mastermind, Sophie Devereux (Bellman), as she re-enters the dating scene only to find that her new beau is a real-life Tinder Swindler posing as a billionaire to scam his matches out of money. The team plans to bait this sinister catfish by transforming Sophie into the ultimate romantic catch for him. Ahead of the episode, Collider can exclusively share a new sneak peek that shows her just minutes away from her "date" as Harry Wilson (Wyle) fills her in on her backstory and back-up, along with Breanna Casey (Aleyse Shannon).

In the footage, Sophie arrives at a runway...

Hollywood Insider - Upcoming New 'Star Wars' TV Show: 'Maul – Shadow Lord'

The announcement for the new 'Star Wars' animated TV series dropped, leaving fans speechless for what’s to come. ‘Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord’ is currently in production, coming to Disney+ in 2026.

During the 20th anniversary panel for Lucasfilm Animation at Star Wars Celebration Japan, audiences were met with a thrilling surprise: Sam Witwer is officially returning as the voice of Darth Maul in the brand-new series.

Things to do: Subscribe to The Hollywood Insider’s YouTube Channel, by clicking here. Limited Time Offer – Free Subscription to The Hollywood Insider Click here to read more on The Hollywood Insider’s vision, values and mission statement here – Media has the responsibility to better our world – The Hollywood Insider fully focuses on substance and meaningful entertainment, against gossip and scandal, by combining entertainment, education, and philanthropy. A Familiar Voice,...

Photo by Starwars.com

The announcement for the new 'Star Wars' animated TV series dropped, leaving fans speechless for what’s to come. ‘Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord’ is currently in production, coming to Disney+ in 2026.

During the 20th anniversary panel for Lucasfilm Animation at Star Wars Celebration Japan, audiences were met with a thrilling surprise: Sam Witwer is officially returning as the voice of Darth Maul in the brand-new series.

Things to do: Subscribe to The Hollywood Insider’s YouTube Channel, by clicking here. Limited Time Offer – Free Subscription to The Hollywood Insider Click here to read more on The Hollywood Insider’s vision, values and mission statement here – Media has the responsibility to better our world – The Hollywood Insider fully focuses on substance and meaningful entertainment, against gossip and scandal, by combining entertainment, education, and philanthropy. A Familiar Voice, A New Chapter

Sam Witwer has become synonymous with the character of Maul,...

For a lot of people, the “Star Wars” universe begins and ends with the original, prequel and sequel trilogies, and the handful of spinoffs and live-action series on Disney+. But the diehards know that some of the best stories told in a galaxy far, far away actually take place in the various animated shows that have been released.

That’s a lot of episodes to sift through – especially when it comes to “The Clone Wars” – so we put together a guide to some of the very best Star Wars episodes the animated shows have to offer. Every single one of these expand on the lore, introduce something discussed in a live-action property, or are just a damn good time and they’re all streaming on Disney+.

Star Wars Rebels “Star Wars Rebels” (Lucasfilm/Disney)

All of it

Lets get the cheat out of the way right at the top. Is...

After Star Wars Celebration wrapped up only a few weeks ago and Revenge of the Sith has returned to theaters everywhere to celebrate its 20th anniversary, there’s no better time to be a Star Wars fan than right now. The latest season of Andor recently hit Disney+ last week, and it’s already earned the title as the highest-rated Star Wars project ever. Fandom has conducted a new study on the Star Wars franchise by collecting data from fans, which has revealed the favorite characters, movie/TV shows, and even games.

Leading the charge for the favorite character is Ahsoka, voiced by Ashley Eckstein in animation and portrayed by Rosario Dawson in live-action. Following behind Ahsoka, in order, is Ben Solo (Adam Driver), Snoke (Andy Serkis), Darth Sidious (Ian McDiarmid), Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), Darth Maul (Sam Witwer/Ray Park), Darth Plagueis, Rey Skywalker (Daisy Ridley), Count Dooku (Christopher Lee...

As the years go by, we continue to look back on some of Hollywood's biggest franchises only to see that they've gotten bigger over time. There are plenty of them too: The Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Jurassic Park movies, the countless DC films (including the Batman series alone), Terminator and so many more. And one of the most enduring of them all is Star Wars.

That franchise in particular features one of the most committed fanbases of all, and it's no surprise given how vast the world of Star Wars is and all of the legendary characters it has produced. That's even more true now that the saga's future reaches across film and television, with multiple beloved characters headlining their own projects in recent years.

As Lucasfilm brought audiences together at Star Wars Celebration Japan, a major announcement revealed that another significant figure in the lore is set to headline their own series.

None other than Steven Spielberg gave Ian McDiarmid his seal of approval for making Star Wars' Emperor feel genuinely evil.

Speaking with Variety ahead of Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith's twentieth anniversary, McDiarmid reflected on his legacy playing Emperor Palpatine and having the opportunity to expand upon his Return of the Jedi role in the prequel trilogy. On replacing the late Clive Revill as Palpatine's voice, he said, "I thought if Clive knew what that creature had become or what he looked like, he would be doing something along the lines of what I was doing. So I continued to do my little voice like that; George didn't say stop, and neither did Richard." While recording the Adr for his performance, McDiarmid happened to meet director Steven Spielberg and future Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy -- then co-founder of Spielberg's production company Amblin Entertainment -- recalling,...

The latest Star Wars Celebration was held last weekend in Japan, and Disney took the opportunity to reveal a bunch of new movies and TV shows on the way. The galaxy far, far away is about to get a lot more crowded.

Let's go over some of the big ticket revelations, starting with the buzziest of them all:

Star Wars: Starfighter

Star Wars has been absent from the big screen since The Rise of Skywalker bowed in 2019. That's about to change. The Mandalorian & Grogu, a movie continuation of The Mandalorian TV show, will hit theaters next year. And in 2027, Disney has something new lined up: Star Wars: Starfighter.

We've heard whispers about this project before, but we got a lot of new details at the Star Wars Celebration. As revealed by director Shawn Levy (who also directed Deadpool & Wolverine), the movie will be set after The Rise of Skywalker,...

Another Star Wars Celebration has come and gone, but there's plenty to look back on before we put it all behind us. Here is a quick recap of all the movie and show news that fans can start to prepare for in the following year.

The Mandalorian & Grogu

For the first time ever, Din Djarin and Grogu are coming to the big screen. The Mandalorian & Grogu, which is now expected in theaters on May 22, 2026, will send the clan of two on another epic adventure across the galaxy.

Pedro Pascal will reprise his role as The Mandalorian himself, and fans can expect to see plenty of faces, old and new -- and in IMAX, too!

Star Wars: Ahsoka Season 2

While we don't yet have a release date for the second season of Dave Filoni's Ahsoka series, we do know to expect it next year. The series' next season will...

The first three episodes of Andor will be available to stream tonight on Disney+, and soundtrack information for the series has finally been revealed. In addition to premiering the soundtrack for the first three episodes of Andor Season 2, Lucasfilm has also announced that the remaining parts of the soundtrack will be released in line with each pod of episodes. This means the soundtrack for Episodes 4-6 will debut next Tuesday, on April 29, with Episodes 7-9 coming on May 6, ahead of the soundtrack for the final three episodes of Season 2 premiering on May 13. Nicholas Britell (Succession) composed the score for Andor Season 1, but Brandon Roberts has been tapped to produce the music for Season 2, which has been confirmed as the final season of the series.

Collider’s Steve Weintraub recently had the chance to chat with Andor Season 2 stars Diego Luna and Alan Tudyk at Star Wars Celebration, and Luna spoke...

A new Star Wars series might be in the works, and this one could come from a very familiar pair of writers. According to trusted industry insider Jeff Sneider, Nick Cuse and Carlton Cuse are reportedly writing a new Star Wars television show.

While Disney and Lucasfilm haven’t officially confirmed the project, Sneider has a strong track record when it comes to early reports about upcoming movies and shows. So even though this is still a rumor, fans are already getting excited.

Carlton Cuse is a well-known name in television. He’s best known for co-creating and writing the hit mystery series Lost, which kept audiences guessing with its emotional and mind-bending storylines. His son, Nick Cuse, is also a talented writer and has worked on several major shows as well.

Related: Sam Witwer Confirms Maul: Shadow Lord Timeline and Teases Dark New Star Wars Series

Together, Nick and...

Pedro Pascal and Jon Favreau during ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ presentation during Star Wars Celebration Japan (Photo by Christopher Jue/Getty Images for Disney)

The Star Wars Celebration 2025 took place April 18-20 at the Makuhari Messe Convention Center in Tokyo, Japan. The 16th bi-annual event was attended by more than 105,000 people, making it the largest Star Wars Celebration to date.

Guests were treated to 26 hours of panels on the three main stages. This year’s event included the announcement of a new standalone Star Wars film with Ryan Gosling, a panel for The Mandalorian and Grogu starring Pedro Pascal, and a preview of season two of Andor.

The 2023 Celebration was held in London, and 2027’s fan event is set for April 1-4 in Los Angeles. The 2027 Celebration will coincide with the 50th anniversary of Star Wars: A New Hope.

Star Wars: Starfighter

Director Shawn Levy and Ryan Gosling announced Star Wars: Starfighter,...

Star Wars fans just got some exciting news. A new animated show is coming, and it’s all about Darth Maul. It’s called Maul: Shadow Lord, and Sam Witwer is back to voice the fan-favorite villain.

Witwer shared some details regarding the show during Star Wars Celebration in Japan and shared where the new show fits in the Star Wars timeline.

“This is a year after The Clone Wars. You have a situation where everyone got destroyed by the Clones and Maul’s organization didn’t really hold under that pressure,” Witwer said. “He still has a group with him, but it’s not like it was, and so it was devastating in that way. Everyone is very afraid. Everyone is very uncertain. But he is watching an empire that he knew was coming, but he wasn’t thinking it was going to be like this.”

Related: Star Wars:...

Fans of Star Warsknow a few things: The movies typically come in a trilogy, the EU is great, and the animated world is just as good as the live-action one. Shows like Star Wars: The Clone Warsand Star Wars: Rebels were an entry point for a lot of fans, and in recent years, we haven't had as many animated shows to run with. Outside The Bad Batch, fans have been missing our animated favorites. Now, with Star Wars Celebration underway in Japan, we've gotten some exciting news: A new animated show about one of Star Wars' most complex characters is on the way.

Sam Witwer, who voiced Darth Maul in his animated appearances, is going to lead the new series titled Maul: Shadow Lord. Fans have been missing Witwer in the Star Wars world, so it is exciting to have him back in animated form. While speaking with Collider's...

“Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord” is a new CG-animated TV series, set one year after the events of “The Clone Wars”, starring Sam Witwer as ‘Darth Maul’, targeting a 2026 streaming date on Disney+:

“…the new show promises to explore different sides of the ‘Star Wars’ villain….

“…originally portrayed in live-action by Ray Park and Peter Serafinowicz in “The Phantom Menace” (1999).”

“We learn some different things about this character”, said Witwer.

“He’s got some different traits that you wouldn’t necessarily think he has that make perfect sense from what he’s been through…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

We learned yesterday that the next Star Wars animated series will be Maul - Shadow Lord. Exploring The Phantom Menace villain's rise to the top of the criminal underworld, it promises to fill in some big gaps in the former Sith apprentice's history after The Clone Wars and before we caught up with him in Star Wars Rebels. 

The first trailer has now leaked online from Japan (via SFFGazette.com) and offers a much better idea of what to expect. For starters, we see that the animation style is very much in line with what Lucasfilm has delivered in recent series like The Bad Batch and the upcoming Tales of the Underworld.

The main focus of the teaser is to show Maul unleashing hell on his enemies. However, the big reveal comes when the iconic villain is revealed to be training a pink/red-skinned Twi'lek as his new apprentice.

This...

Get ready to revisit the Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxyuniverse with some brand new and old, but different-looking, faces.

Per StarWars.com, an official sequel series, Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy: Pieces of the Past, was announced at Star Wars Celebration Japan, continuing Sig Greebling and Jedi Bob's adventures in a world where the franchise's heroes and villains have flipped roles. New characters were confirmed via an official poster, partnering Sig with a massive Lego Chewbacca, a BrickHeadz-style Ahsoka Tano, and, most notably, EU comic-era Lepi smuggler Jaxxon. Though he's since been added to the Disney-era Star Wars timeline, this will be Jaxxon's first adaptation appearance outside the comics, with Ben Schwartz providing his voice.

Additionally, Star Wars: The Clone Wars' Ashley Eckstein confirmed that she will return to voice BrickHeadz Ahsoka, calling this new take on her character "such a good representation of Ahsoka. Last time I was on this stage,...

Corey Stoll (Billions) and Joel Kinnaman (For All Mankind) are joining some Imperfect Women at Apple TV+.

The actors have boarded the streamer’s limited series starring and executive-produced by Elisabeth Moss and Kerry Washington.

More from TVLineHayden Christensen to Return in Ahsoka Season 2Clueless Sequel Series Starring Alicia Silverstone in the Works at PeacockGhosts First Look: Superstore Vet Ben Feldman Can See Spirits, Too! (Exclusive)

Adapted by Annie Weisman (Physical) from Araminta Hall’s novel of the same name, Imperfect Women is described as “an unconventional, psychological thriller examining a crime that shatters the lives of a decades-long friendship of three women,...

At long last, Light & Magic Season 2 has landed on Disney+, and it couldn’t be more timely. As Industrial Light & Magic celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, this new season picks up right where the last left off, chronicling a wild, wonderful era of visual effects innovation and paying tribute to the rogues and rebels who reshaped filmmaking forever.

Light & Magic Season 2 poster reveal featuring Yoda from Star Wars and more. Image Credit: StarWars.com | starwars.com

Announced on StarWars.com with a trailer and poster drop during Star Wars Celebration Japan, Season 2 dives into Ilm’s digital renaissance of the 1990s and early 2000s — the Jurassic Park boom, the Star Wars prequels, and a relentless push to redefine what was possible on screen. Hosted by voice actor Sam Witwer, the live panel featured a rare gathering of Ilm and Lucasfilm creatives: Ahmed Best, Janet Lewin, John Knoll, Rob Coleman,...

Star Wars enthusiasts, brace yourselves—Maul is back! Lucasfilm has officially announced a brand-new animated series titled “Maul – Shadow Lord,” featuring the return of fan-favorite voice actor Sam Witwer as the iconic villain.

Witwer first brought the character to life in “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and has reprised this compelling portrayal in “Star Wars Rebels” and the 2018 film “Solo: A Star Wars Story.” Set in the aftermath of the climactic final season of “The Clone Wars,” this series follows Maul as he rises once again, uniting and leading the galaxy’s criminal underworld.

Athena Portillo, Lucasfilm’s Vice President of Animation, alongside Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni, teased fans at Star Wars Celebration Japan with exciting details:

“Unfortunately, I can’t tell you too much,” Portillo said. “But what I can say is Sam Witwer’s involvement in this show has been pristine. I’m very excited about him...

Gold Derby's top news stories for April 18, 2025. 

Darth Maul animated series in the works at Disney+

At the Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo, Lucasfilm announced that a new animated series about iconic, double-ended-lightsaber-wielding Sith lord Darth Maul, titled Maul - Shadow Lord, is coming to Disney+ in 2026. Sam Witwer will return to voice Maul, having voice the character several times previously. The series is set after the events of the final season of animated series The Clone Wars, and follows Maul as he rises again to lead the underworld factions.

Conan O'Brien Must Go Season 2 gets trailer and premiere date

Conan O'Brien Must Go, Max's Emmy-winning travel comedy series, will return for Season 2 on May 8. In the three-episode season, Conan O'Brien visits Spain, Austria, and New Zealand, with guest appearances by Javier Bardem and Taika Waititi. New episodes debut weekly on Thursdays, concluding with the season finale on May...

Star Wars’ iconic villain Darth Maul is returning to the screen with a new animated series at Disney+. Maul: Shadow Lord was announced Friday during Lucasfilm Animation’s panel at Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo with Sam Witwer, who has voiced the character in several iterations, returning to reprise the role.

Witwer himself took the stage to announce his return in the series, which is currently in production and set for premiere on Disney+ in 2026. He previously voiced the character in animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels and in the 2018 film Solo: A Star Wars Story.

The new series is set after the events of the final season of The Clone Wars, with Maul rising again to lead the underworld factions, according to starwars.com

Attendees at the Star Wars Celebration panel got a glimpse of the new series in a clip which reportedly reveals...

The 20th Anniversary of Lucasfilm Animation panel at Star Wars Celebration 2025 in Japan did not disappoint as the next animated series Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord was revealed. The series is coming in 2026.

The new show will see the return of Sam Witwer, who has voiced Darth Maul ever since his return in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. According to StarWars.com, the show will be set after the events of The Clone Wars and looks to be focusing on Maul's Crimson Dawn years, which were revealed he was the leader of in Solo: A Star Wars Story. A sizzle reel celebrating 20 years was also released, featuring George Lucas discussing his love of the medium. At the very end of it, we get the smallest peek of Maul - Shadow Lord.

The article also promises that this will have a brand new animation style, which thank the Force for that.

The first day of Star Wars Celebration in Japan started off hot. Sigourney Weaver talked about her role in the upcoming The Mandalorin & Grogu movie and Sam Witwer will reprise his role as the voice of Darth Maul in a new animtated series, Star Wars: Darth Maul - Shadow Lord.    The big news of the day was when Lucasfilm confirmed that Sean Levy's standalone Star Wars film will begin production this Fall, with a theatrical release date of May 28th, 2027. And what started as rumors at the beginning of the year were confrimed at the event, Ryan Gosling is set to star in the new film, Star Wars: Starfighter.    With several feature film projects stuck in development limbo we guess you...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Obi-Wan Kenobi sliced Darth Maul in half and sent him tumbling to his death in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. However, The Clone Wars animated series would later reveal that Papatine's Sith apprentice had survived.

Now rocking a pair of badass cybernetic legs, his story continued there before the villain eventually returned in Star Wars Rebels (which is where his tale also concluded after one final clash with Obi-Wan on Tatooine).

Solo: A Star Wars Story brought Maul back in live-action, 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. Unfortunately, the movie was a box office flop.

At Star Wars Celebration in Japan earlier today, it was confirmed - via SFFGazette.com -that Maul will return in Lucasfilm's next animated series, Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord.

"After the Clone Wars,...

It’s official: Darth Maul will return to the “Star Wars” universe, albeit in animated form.

Variety reports that Lucasfilm has a new animated series about the iconic villain in the work for a Disney+ premiere in 2026, which sees Sam Witwer return to voice Maul. The new shows, entitled “Maul — Shadow Lord,” was announced at the Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo today with the actor in attendance.

Continue reading ‘Darth Maul’: Lucasfilm Announces Animated Series About ‘Star Wars’ ‘Shadow Lord’ Arriving In 2026 at The Playlist.

If there was one character who could be considered the icon of The Phantom Menace, it's Darth Maul. The devilish and deadly Sith Lord from Episode I has had a long and sordid history, but big things are in store for this Star Wars fan favorite.

Maul has murdered Jedi, survived bifurcation, and terrified countless viewers, but Lucasfilm isn't done with him yet. At this year's Star Wars Day, the studio announced that the character would be resurrected for a new animated series, and it's set to be a sinister smash!

Darth Maul: Shadow Lord

Lucasfilm Animation has brought new tales from the galaxy far, far away to life for years, bringing a fresh perspective to familiar settings, struggles, and characters. Although the Clone Wars have ended, there's still one fearsome figure lurking in the darkness... and he just got a solo series.

It was announced at Star Wars Day's...

"Cheers to 20 years of Lucasfilm Animation." Lucasfilm has revealed a tribute video celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the animation side of Star Wars production company Lucasfilm. The animation division was originally launched in 2005 to develop and produce the first Star Wars animated movie - The Clone Wars, which opened in theaters in 2008 (we actually covered this release way back when!). In the 20 years since then, they've gone on to create and launch numerous successful TV series including Star Wars Rebels, Resistance, The Bad Batch, Lego Star Wars, Tales of the Jedi, and much more. In addition to celebrating these past two decades of animation, the video also very quickly introduces their latest creation - a Darth Maul series coming soon. "Maul - Shadow Lord, an all-new Star Wars animated series." The final shot in this below shows the new Maul with his red saber, voiced by Sam Witwer; it takes...

The Sith Lord character of Darth Maul was seemingly a rare element of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace that had been scrutinized by audiences. In fact, fans of Star Wars wished the character had more time to shine and clamored for more from him. Luckily, Lucasfilm brought him back for The Clone Wars series, as well as Star Wars Rebels. The character even made a surprise cameo appearance in the spin-off Solo: A Star Wars Story. Now that Star Wars Celebration is underway, according to The Hollywood Reporter, this morning saw the announcement of a new Darth Maul chapter.

A new animated series that will be centered around Darth Maul was revealed to be heading for Disney+. The show is said to be titled Maul: Shadow Lord. Lucasfilm Cco Dave Filoni made the announcement with the VP of the animation division, Athena Portillo, during a panel that...