Even though Maul's story continues after Shadow Lord in Solo and Rebels, it's "not necessarily a straight line," the Star Wars show's director says

Maul – Shadow Lord is bringing everyone's favorite ex-Sith back to our screens for a story set after The Clone Wars on the Star Wars timeline.

But, as anyone who has tracked Maul's post-Phantom Menace adventures will know, his story continues into Solo and Star Wars Rebels.

When we sat down with Maul – Shadow Lord's supervising director Brad Rau, writer Matt Michnovetz, and executive producer Athena Yvette Portillo, we asked if knowing the future of Maul's story affected the way they approached Shadow Lord, and it sounds like there are still plenty of surprises in store.

"That's a wait and see for me, that's a wait and see," says Portillo, with Rau explaining: "I will say, when we approach these kinds of stories where you know a certain character's end, it's not necessarily a straight line. So, we wanted to make sure that we are making surprising bobs and weaves in a storyline that the fans are not expecting. Ideally, that's what we're doing. Also, there's a lot of new characters you've never seen before, and you don't know their fates and their destiny, and that's a big part of the story as well."

Indeed, Shadow Lord introduces plenty of new characters to the galaxy far, far away, including Wagner Moura's lawman Lawson and his droid partner, Richard Ayoade's Two-Boots. But, it's Maul who's front and center of the show. While he's been pivotal to The Clone Wars and Rebels, he's never actually led his own series before. So, how did the Shadow Lord team handle shifting Maul into the limelight?

"It was a tall order. It was very hard in all aspects, but mainly in the narrative was the hardest," says Portillo.

"One thing we wanted to make sure we did, though, is create a new story and a new adventure in this time period, in his journey, that viewers didn't have to know anything about the character or about Star Wars going in," says Michnovetz. "If you're a fan and you know that, that's great. It's enhanced viewing. It's fantastic. We're true to all of it, believe me, it's baked in. But, we did want to create a no barrier to entry story that you just go in, you understand. Here's a guy who's got some issues with some people, he's out for revenge, and this is what he wants to do. He wants his pound of flesh, and he's determined to get it at all costs."

Maul remains a hugely beloved character, too: when Shadow Lord was announced at Star Wars Celebration 2025, the reaction from the crowd was huge. "He brings a level of mystery to the table," says Portillo of why Maul provokes such a reaction. "Maul, to me, is like my Boba Fett growing up. I wanted to know more about Boba Fett. There was something threatening about him. He didn't say anything the first time you see him. Maul at least said some stuff in Phantom Menace. Even his appearance is really cool."

"He's relatable and he's charismatic, so to add that to the mysterious nature of him, and he's fascinating to watch," adds Michnovetz.

You can watch Maul in Shadow Lord beginning this April 6 on Disney Plus. See our Maul – Shadow Lord release schedule for help keeping up to date.

In the meantime, catch up on Maul's story with our guide on watching The Clone Wars in order – or check out the episodes in our what to watch before Maul – Shadow Lord explainer.