Darth Maul deserves a proper comeback

There's a reason George Lucas wanted to bring back Darth Maul for his sequel trilogy. Before Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace even reached cinemas, the horned devil was an iconic villain, primed to terrorize younglings' dreams. When the prequel arrived and the Sith powered up that double-ended red lightsaber, "Duel of the Fates" blaring, Maul's zenith was reached. We clapped and screamed and spilled popcorn everywhere. And after Obi-Wan Kenobi sliced him in half, we wanted more.

Maul has returned in various forms over the years. There have been comics and short stories about the tragic character. More notably, Maul featured heavily in the animated shows, The Clone Wars and Rebels, becoming ruler of Mandalore, fighting Darth Sidious, and eventually dying in Obi-Wan Kenobi's arms. Maul also had a single, fleeting live-action appearance in Solo: A Star Wars Story, a movie that was seemingly set to spawn a sequel with Maul's criminal syndicate the Crimson Dawn as the enemy, yet that has not transpired. 

Reports have now emerged that Maul was meant to be a primary antagonist in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. Considering Kenobi and Maul's long history, the idea makes sense – and, frankly, I'm disappointed to learn that Maul won't be appearing in the Disney Plus series. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, the duo behind The Mandalorian, were worried the series' plot would have been too similar to the tale of Baby Yoda and Mando. In the initial drafts of the Disney Plus show, Maul was set to hunt a young Luke Skywalker with Kenobi protecting him – a story that does, indeed, mirror The Mandalorian. As a result, Maul was cut from the Obi-Wan Kenobi series' script, though conflicting sources claim actor Ray Park had been in pre-production preparing to revisit the role.

The Phantom Menace

Whatever the case, we're now at a point where Maul has been around the galaxy a few times, yet has only had two brief appearances in live-action. And though the animated series are both beloved (and canon), there's no denying that a comeback in the flesh (wait, does that also discount his hologram appearance in Solo?) would be an entirely different ballgame. After all, live-action Star Wars undeniably has a different standing compared to other Star Wars materials. That's not to belittle the incredible work of animators, artists, and storytellers in other mediums who have told fantastic stories over the years, but there's no denying that seeing Star Wars brought to life is a different kind of thrill. 

That Maul has been everywhere except live-action is confusing. Does Lucasfilm expect broader audiences – AKA those not entrenched in Star Wars lore beyond the movies and Mandalorian – to not grasp how Maul is alive? That cannot be the case, otherwise the Sith would not have been in Solo or prepped to appear in Obi-Wan. Perhaps bringing back Maul is too difficult because his story has already broadly been told, and therefore fitting any new story within the established canon is tricky? Yet, as demonstrated by the comics and his leadership of the Crimson Dawn, there's still much we don't know about Maul. 

Maybe Lucasfilm is simply prioritizing other characters. Boba Fett had a solo show, next comes Obi-Wan, then the guys from Rogue One in Andor, and soon Ahsoka and Lando Calrissian. There are still plenty of iconic Star Wars characters who should rightfully get their own spin-offs (Darth Vader, Doctor Aphra, the Knights of Ren, Poe), so maybe Maul's just lower down on the list. And if he's not, then he should be. Maul is a mythical character for many Star Wars fans, and seeing him once again in live-action – lighting up that double-ended red lightsaber, "Duel of the Fates" blaring – would undoubtedly be a moment equal to Luke showing up in The Mandalorian. The animated shows and comics have all shown how much depth the conflicted character can have, and there's still so much more to explore. Darth Maul deserves a proper comeback – it's what George Lucas would have wanted.

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