It was simply final weekend when CinemaBlend attended the Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo, Japan, and obtained to witness all the large moments. That included the announcement of Ryan Gosling’s new film which was cheered on by followers to Hayden Christensen and Rosario Dawson’s reunion on stage forward each of them returning for Ahsoka Season 2. Nevertheless,, I’ve to say, probably the most I’ve seen Star Wars followers lose their minds all weekend was when it was revealed {that a} Darth Maul spinoff present is popping out subsequent yr.
Only a day after Maul: Shadow Lord had audiences hooting and hollering over the primary trailer for the animated collection (which stays formally unique to Star Wars Celebration), CinemaBlend obtained to talk to longtime Darth Maul voice actor Sam Witwer about his involvement within the collection. In his phrases:
The animation fashion was one thing that Dave [Filoni] described to me that it’s going to recognizably be in that Clone Wars world, however slightly bit extra excessive as a result of it’s issues from Darth Maul’s perspective. It’s slightly bit extra edgy and jagged and harmful.
Sam Witwer’s Maul is featured closely within the Star Wars: Clone Wars collection, which ran from 2008 to 2020 (with a six-year hiatus between 2014 and 2020). Maul: Shadow Lord brings the visible fashion of Lucasfilm Animation and Darth Maul fairly a number of steps ahead As somebody who was within the room when the trailer was proven, I can say the brand new collection completely channels the darkish facet of the Star Wars Universe in a approach we’ve by no means seen earlier than, and my jaw dropped.
The trailer entails Darth Maul rebuilding his legal empire within the time between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. Within the footage we watched, we noticed glimpses of him taking over his personal apprentice, however via a totally new framing than we’ve seen in a collection earlier than. That is as a result of the present is instructed from the angle of one of many franchise’s darkest characters. Witwer additionally stated this to CinemaBlend:
I used to be introduced on board a yr in the past, so I’ve seen fairly a bit. And, in reality they introduced me in deeper than they’ve ever introduced me in earlier than. It was all the time very collaborative and George [Lucas] inspired collaboration, however now that I’ve fifteen years of taking part in the character, they felt it essential to convey me in even deeper. So we’re all the time on the cellphone, we’re all the time having conferences, emails, there’s all the time questions on character moments.
How cool is it that Sam Witwer is so concerned in Shadow Lord? The voice actor has performed the position for over a decade, beginning within the Clone Wars collection. He is since reprised the position for Rebels, Lego Star Wars and Battlefront II. He even voiced Maul in Solo: A Star Wars Story. After spending years creating the voice, Witwer now has the chance to be a part of the artistic course of and see Darth Maul actually take middle stage for the primary time ever.
I completely can’t watch for Maul: Shadow Lord to be launched in 2026 and, judging by the reactions at Star Wars Celebration, I’m not the one one. There are such a lot of thrilling upcoming Star Wars films and TV reveals on the way in which other than this animated collection. So it is a good time to be a fan of the galaxy far, distant.