What We Know So Far About Disney+’s Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord
The dark side is taking center stage again. Lucasfilm has dropped the official trailer for Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, giving fans their fullest look yet at the upcoming Disney+ animated series and making one thing very clear: this is not just another side story built around a familiar villain. The new footage leans hard into Maul’s brutality, his hunger for control, and the lawless atmosphere of a galaxy still reshaping itself under the Empire.
Maul – Shadow Lord | Photo Credit: Disney+ and Lucasfilm
So far, the biggest thing to know is where Maul – Shadow Lord fits in the larger Star Wars timeline. The series is set after The Clone Wars, during the Reign of the Empire era, with StarWars.com placing it in the early years of Emperor Palpatine’s rule. In practical terms, that makes this a story about Maul in the fallout period, after the Republic has fallen and while the Empire is still tightening its grip across the galaxy. It is a smart window for the character because it leaves room to explore what Maul becomes when the Sith order he once served has moved on without him, but his obsession with power and revenge has not gone anywhere.
The series itself centers on Maul trying to rebuild his criminal syndicate on Janix, a world that has largely escaped the Empire’s direct attention. That setting seems to be a big part of the show’s appeal. Janix is described as a self-governed planet held together by a fragile balance between law enforcement, gangsters, and underworld deals, which gives the series room to play in a murkier space than the average Jedi-versus-Sith conflict. The trailer also suggests that balance will not last for long once Maul arrives.
One of the most interesting additions is Devon Izara, a young Twi’lek Jedi Padawan who is on the run from the Empire and struggling to accept that the future she expected is gone. According to the official synopsis, Maul crosses paths with her and sees the possibility of a new apprentice, which immediately adds a more dangerous emotional layer to the series.
The trailer also confirms a crowded roster around him. Sam Witwer returns as Maul, with Gideon Adlon voicing Devon Izara, Wagner Moura playing police detective Brander Lawson, and Richard Ayoade voicing Lawson’s droid partner Two-Boots. Official materials also tease appearances from Imperial Inquisitors including The Crow and Marrok, along with Rook Kast and several new underworld figures. Behind the scenes, the series is created by Dave Filoni, developed by Filoni and Matt Michnovetz, and directed by supervising director Brad Rau.
As for when fans can actually watch it, Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord premieres with two episodes on Disney+ on April 6, 2026, followed by two episodes each week until its finale on May 4. After the first teaser hinted at a darker, more jagged animated style, this full trailer makes the pitch even clearer: Lucasfilm is giving Maul a series that looks harsher, moodier, and more criminally driven than most recent Star Wars animation. For a character who has spent years orbiting the edges of the franchise’s most volatile corners, that may be exactly the right approach.
