Alongside the reveal that Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord will officially debut with a two-episode premiere on Disney+ on April 6, 2026, the series' official teaser trailer was also released, showcasing Maul and his terrifying double-bladed lightsaber as he works to rebuild his criminal syndicate on a planet untouched by the Empire.
As detailed by StarWars.com, this series picks up following the events of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and finds Maul on the world of Janix near the beginning of Emperor Palpatine's reign. While there, he will encounter a "disillusioned young Jedi Padawan who may just be the apprentice he is seeking to aid him in his relentless pursuit for revenge."
The padawan in question is a Twi'lek named Devon Izara, and she is on the run from the Empire after her life, and that of that galaxy far, far away, was flipped upside down following the events of Order 66. Janix will be an interesting place for these events to unfold, and executive producer Matt Michnovetz shared why.
“It's one part Gotham, one part Metropolis and a hundred percent Star Wars with all these different levels and layers,” Michnovetz said. “It's a city essentially built into a crater on this planet that is untouched by the Empire. It's got a functioning democracy and law enforcement doing a good job of policing their own community. It's a rich environment for crime and gangsters, but so far there's been a very peaceful accord between all of them in the interest of business.”
We also see a familiar face in the trailer as the First Brother Inquisitor Marrok, who first appeared in Star Wars: Ahsoka, shows up to cause trouble for Maul. It's an inspired choice as he also wields a double-bladed lightsaber, although his has a circular hilt. It was also teased that he won't be the only member of Palpatine's Inquisitorious that Maul will encounter.
“The Empire is consolidating the galaxy from the core worlds out, and the Inquisitorius is stronger than ever,” Michnovetz says. “They're hunting Jedi and other Force users, doing all kinds of nasty work. The galaxy at large is sort of dealing with this slow rise of the Empire and different groups have different understandings of what the Empire is. The same thing goes for the inquisitors. They’re secret mercenaries that show up out of the darkness.”
Sam Witwer, who voiced Maul in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, and more, will return to voice the villain this time around, and he will be joined by Gideon Adlon as Devon Izara, Wagner Moura as Brander Lawson, Richard Ayoade as Two-Boots, Dennis Haysbert as Master Eeko-Dio-Daki, Chris Diamantopoulos as Looti Vario, Charlie Bushnell as Rylee Lawson, Vanessa Marshall as Rook Kast, David C. Collins as Spybot, A.J. LoCascio as Marrok, and Steve Blum as Icarus.
If April is too long of a wait for Maul, Brander Lawson and Two-Boots will star in a Marvel Comics prequel series set on Janix this March.
Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, which was created by new co-president of Lucasfilm Dave Filoni, will debut two episodes each week leading ot the finale on May 4, and it will feature "stylized animation emblematic of the gritty new cityscape locale of Janix combined with old-school filmmaking methods to capture painterly brushstrokes on glass and other physical elements."
For more, check out what else to expect from Star Wars in 2026.
Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst, Instagram, and TikTok, and listen to his show, Talking Disney Magic.
