After being announced in April 2025 as the next animated Star Wars series on Disney+, Maul – Shadow Lord has finally dropped its first teaser trailer, along with the reveal of its official release date.
Disney+ has said that Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord will begin streaming on April 6th, 2026. The show will release two episodes each week, with the final two arriving on May 4th, 2026, also widely known as Star Wars Day.
The Lucasfilm Animation series will have 10 episodes in total, released over five weeks after the premiere. One of the executive producers has also said that the show moves very quickly and is full of action.
Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord takes place after Star Wars: The Clone Wars and follows Maul on the planet Janix, near the start of Emperor Palpatine’s rule. There, he meets a young Jedi Padawan named Devon Izara, who has lost faith in the Jedi Order. She is a Twi’lek who is hiding from the Empire after her life changed completely because of Order 66. Maul sees her as a possible apprentice who could help him in his revenge plan. In the teaser trailer, Maul says, “Times have changed. I will show you the galaxy for what it truly is.”
Janix is an important setting in the series, and EP Matt Michnovetz has shared why it was chosen. He said, “It’s one part Gotham, one part Metropolis and a hundred per cent Star Wars with all these different levels and layers. 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.”
In the trailer, fans see Marrok, a character they may recognize from Star Wars: Ahsoka, returning as an enemy of Maul. He uses a double-bladed lightsaber, similar to Maul’s but with a round handle. It also hints that Marrok won’t be the only inquisitor sent by Emperor Palpatine.
Matt explained, “The Empire is consolidating the galaxy from the core worlds out, and the Inquisitorius is stronger than ever. 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.”
Along with the new story details, the teaser also gives fans a first look at the show’s visual style. Fans of Star Wars animation will notice a clear shift in design, with rougher lines and a painted/darker look that matches Maul’s journey. This updated style is also reflected in the series’s first poster, which gives Maul – Shadow Lord a different visual identity, as compared to earlier animated Star Wars shows.
The voice cast includes Richard Ayoade as Two-Boots, Sam Witwer as Maul, Charlie Bushnell as Rylee Lawson, Gideon Adlon as Devon Izara, Wagner Moura as Brander Lawson, Dennis Haysbert as Master Eeko-Dio-Daki, Chris Diamantopoulos as Looti Vario, Vanessa Marshall as Rook Kast, David C. Collins as Spybot, Steve Blum as Icarus, and A.J. LoCascio as Marrok.
Moreover, the animated show comes from Dave Filoni and is set in the Star Wars universe created by George Lucas. Filoni developed the series alongside Matt Michnovetz, with Brad Rau overseeing the direction.
Dave Filoni, Athena Yvette Portillo, Matt Michnovetz, Brad Rau, Carrie Beck, and Josh Rimes are the executive producers, while Alex Spotswood works as the co-executive producer.
