Today’s first trailer for The Book of Boba Fett reminded us that Lucasfilm is busy expanding its Star Wars universe on streaming, with more and more Disney Plus series entering development all the time. Boba Fett is a good example of how the franchise is now beginning to focus on less squeaky-clean characters, with solo projects for some of the saga’s most iconic villains likely on the way. Including, maybe, one starring Darth Maul.
A new report from Cinelinx claims that the studio is currently working on an animated series all about Maul in secret. According to multiple sources, this animation features Dee Bradley Baker (The Bad Batch), Anakin Skywalker voice actor Matt Lanter and the voice of Maul himself Sam Witwer, who have already allegedly got started on recording their lines.
The outlet writes that this Maul show is a prequel to Solo: A Star Wars Story, revealing how the Dathomirian rose up the criminal underworld to take over the Crimson Dawn syndicate after he survived his duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi in The Phantom Menace. WandaVision‘s Paul Bettany is also expected to reprise his role as Dryden Vos, Solo‘s main villain, who was revealed to be working under Maul.
Ever since Solo failed to spawn any sequels, there have been various rumors of a live-action TV series following Maul’s storyline. Cinelinx claims that this version of the project has been shelved due to the internet scandal that surrounded Maul actor Ray Park last year. Instead, Lucasfilm is moving forward with an animated spinoff, building off Maul and Crimson Dawn’s role in The Clone Wars season 7.
Feel free to take Cinelinx’s report with a pinch of salt, but it does fit with previous intel shared by Geekosity over the summer, who likewise shared that a Maul solo series with Witwer was coming. While a live-action show would be fun, it’s the animated side of the universe that’s really fleshed the character out so it’s probably only fitting that his first self-titled outing should be animated, too.
Let us know if you like the sounds of this purported Darth Maul project in the comments.