It's officially 2026 and that means that we're going to get a ton of new content from some of the biggest franchises in Hollywood today. That includes Lucasfilm's juggernaut Star Wars saga, which has some major movies and TV shows coming out this year.
Not only will we have the long-awaited second season of Disney Plus' Ahsoka, we'll also get the first Star Wars movie in six years as The Mandalorian and Grogu arrives in theaters this May. There are some other exciting projects in the works too, including a highly-anticipated sequel series that promises to be the most unique Star Wars title of the year.
Maul: Shadow Lord is the Clone Wars sequel Star Wars fans have waited for
Of all the admittedly very exciting new Star Wars titles coming in 2026, Maul: Shadow Lord just might be the most exciting. Spotlighting the infamous Darth Maul, the show will bring back Sam Witwer to voice the character, as he reprises his role from previous animated shows Star Wars: The Clone Wars and direct sequel Star Wars Rebels. This one may technically be the third entry in that saga but it bridges the gap between the two, acting as a sequel to the former and prequel to the latter.
Set in a post-Jedi galaxy, it will have Maul pondering his place in the universe as he seeks a new purpose. That purpose will involve rebuilding his criminal syndicate on Janix - a planet untouched by the Empire. And with that, everything that goes down there will ultimately lead him to becoming the modern hardened iteration of the character who we meet in Star Wars Rebels.
Darth Maul has long been one of the most underrated characters in the Star Wars franchise. He is best known for being the antagonist in the somewhat infamous Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace - the first installment in the prequel trilogy. While a lot of the elements of that film were divisive, Maul was simply overlooked in the outlandishness of it all, which is why it's been so fulfilling to see him get more spotlight over the years in the various animated offerings.
Witwer's portrayal of the villain in Clone Wars and Rebels has been thrilling and it was particularly cool to see actor Ray Park - who played Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace - once again bring the character to life via motion capture in the former show's final season. Both actors reprised their respective physical and voice roles to play him in 2018 live-action movie Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Despite Maul's many appearances, he has always had something of a supporting role that has never felt like it got fully fleshed out. He has such aura, and it's clear that he would have been a fulfilling villain of the Sequel trilogy if George Lucas' initial plans had come to fruition. Nevertheless, he is finally getting the spotlight fans have been waiting for him to have in the upcoming Maul series, which will tell the next chapter of his story after The Clone Wars.
Maul: Shadow Lord arrives on Disney Plus in 2026.