Following his cameo in Solo, Ray Park is open to returning as Darth Maul in the future. Where could we expect him to resurface again?
Ray Park, the man behind Darth Maul, got Star Wars fans’ attention when he said he has “a lot of great ideas” regarding the character’s future.
In a piece on comicbook.com, Park told the story of his return to the role, saying that Sam Witwer, the voice of Maul in The Clone Wars and Rebels, had already recorded his lines for the film. All Park had to do was step in and film his scenes as Maul, saying that it “was a different process” and that he “really enjoyed this experience.”
Disney executives, however, could not have enjoyed the film’s flop at the box office. Due to the disappointing performance of Solo, the fate of future spin-off films is very much up in the air. Still, Park’s comments are encouraging and make fans wonder when and how the Dathomirian will resurface.
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Disclaimer: Even though there’s a solid chance that Maul will return in the upcoming Clone Wars season, I’m not putting it on this list because Park wouldn’t be involved.
Let’s run through some of the possibilities.
Obi-Wan spin-off
Ewan McGregor has stated he’d be willing to reprise his role as Obi-Wan, particularly in a spin-off film. It seems like all of us would love to see McGregor return the Star Wars universe as his performance in the prequel trilogy was well-received by fans. Unfortunately, since spin-off production has been halted, the odds of getting an Obi-Wan movie seem to be dropping by the day.
Still, it seems likely Darth Maul could appear alongside the man who cut him in half. If the movie is set in between Revenge of the Sith and Rebels, Maul would almost surely be in it.
Obi-Wan and Maul have always been linked, from that fateful duel in The Phantom Menace to the return of Maul in The Clone Wars and their emotional last meeting in Rebels. Even though the potential for a Kenobi spin-off looks grim, it would be surprising if Maul didn’t show up in it.
Photo credit: Lucasfilm/The Clone Wars
Darth Maul spin-off
Darth Maul is my favorite Star Wars character, mostly because of his intimidating look and savage fighting style. There are so many figures in the franchise that could have their own spin-off movie (Yoda, Palpatine, Ahsoka, Mace Windu, etc.), but the prospect of Maul’s backstory being fleshed out on-screen is the most appealing to me.
Much of Maul’s past is covered in Expanded Universe material like Darth Plagueis (great book, I highly recommend it) and Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter, as well as comics such as Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir. To see those storylines put to good use in a live-action solo film would just be amazing.
Solo: A Star Wars Story sequels
According to Cavanaugh’s article, Alden Ehrenreich confirmed that his contract with Lucasfilm includes three films total. If any Solo sequels came to be (not looking good right now), there’s no doubt Park’s Maul would return as the leader of Crimson Dawn.
Maul’s cameo more than left the door open for future Han Solo films, so a sequel with Maul as one of the main antagonists (can’t forget the big shot gangster) has Ray Park written all over it.
Palpatine spin-off
Palpatine’s name has been thrown around as somebody who could headline a spin-off. Personally, I’d love it; if it involves the Sith, I’m game.
While a Palpatine movie would focus on his journey to becoming Darth Sidious, some elements involving Darth Maul could very well be in play. In the Darth Plagueis novel, Maul’s training under Palpatine is discussed as well as some early parts of Maul’s life, so there’s no shortage of material here.
Where would you like to see Darth Maul pop up next? Let us know in the comments.