Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord Teaser Trailer, Poster, and Full Cast Arrive
The first teaser trailer and poster for Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord have arrived, with executive producers breaking down the new animated series' gritty cityscape of Janix, returning Sith lord Maul, and a disillusioned young Jedi Padawan named Devon Izara. The series premieres on Disney+ on April 6, 2026.
A new chapter in animated Star Wars is about to begin. Today, Lucasfilm unveiled the first teaser trailer and poster for Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, the long-awaited animated series that picks up after Star Wars: The Clone Wars and follows the fallen Sith's relentless pursuit of revenge. The show premieres on Disney+ on April 6, 2026 with a two-episode drop, then continues with two episodes each week through a Star Wars Day finale.
Welcome to Janix: A World Untouched by the Empire
Most of the action unfolds on the brand-new planet of Janix, a gritty cityscape built into a crater and — at least for now — untouched by the rising Empire. Executive producer Matt Michnovetz describes it as "one part Gotham, one part Metropolis and a hundred percent Star Wars." Janix has its own functioning democracy, police force, and an uneasy truce between competing crime syndicates — exactly the kind of environment Maul is looking to exploit as he rebuilds his criminal empire.
The Empire is not entirely absent, though. Set a few years after Order 66, the series will also feature the Inquisitorius in full hunting-mode, including the return of the masked Inquisitor Marrok, who first appeared in Ahsoka Season 1.
Darth No More: A New Maul and a New Apprentice
Sam Witwer is back as Maul, the role he has voiced since The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, and beyond. Supervising director Brad Rau praised Witwer as "a really awesome collaborator" who has been instrumental in introducing the new voice cast to a galaxy far, far away. One standout trailer moment shows Maul performing a tea ceremony — an unexpected beat of calm contemplation that Witwer prepared for by actually attending a real tea ceremony in Japan.
Opposite Maul is Devon Izara, a disillusioned young Jedi Padawan voiced by Gideon Adlon. "Devon is a young person who's living through challenging times and realizes that the future she once thought she was going to have is no longer possible," Michnovetz says. She is the apprentice Maul has been searching for — and the moral center of a very dark story.
The Full Voice Cast and Creative Team
The broader voice cast is stacked: Oscar nominee Wagner Moura voices Captain Brander Lawson, Richard Ayoade plays Two-Boots, Dennis Haysbert is Master Eeko-Dio Daki, Chris Diamantopoulos plays Looti Vario, Charlie Bushnell is Rylee Lawson, Vanessa Marshall returns as Rook Kast, David W. Collins plays Spybot, A.J. LoCascio voices Marrok, and Steve Blum plays Icarus. Brander Lawson and Two-Boots will also anchor a Marvel Comics prequel series set on Janix starting this March.
Old-School Filmmaking, Serialized Storytelling
Executive producer and Lucasfilm Animation VP Athena Portillo emphasized that the show pushed the studio stylistically. Cinematography, Lighting & VFX Director Joel Aron leaned into practical techniques, painting brush strokes on glass and establishing matte paintings on canvas to create a more tactile look. The animation team also upgraded body mechanics and facial performances to give characters more fluid expression.
"We wanted to create an action-packed thrill ride, something that had the rush of a roller coaster, so we do a lot of homages to the classic serials of the day, which gave George Lucas the inspiration for Star Wars. And we've got the perfect character to drive us through this in Maul." — Matt Michnovetz
With 10 episodes arriving over five weeks, Maul – Shadow Lord is taking the highly serialized, connected-all-the-way-through approach that modern Star Wars animation does best. The series is created by Dave Filoni, developed by Filoni and Michnovetz, and executive produced by Filoni, Athena Yvette Portillo, Michnovetz, Brad Rau, Carrie Beck, and Josh Rimes.
What This Means for Star Wars Fans
Maul has been one of the most beloved characters in Star Wars animation since his shock return in The Clone Wars, and finally giving him his own serialized showcase — with Sam Witwer in the booth and a new apprentice to test him — feels like long-overdue catharsis. Between the stylized visuals, the pulpy crime underworld of Janix, and an ensemble cast loaded with Oscar-caliber talent, Maul – Shadow Lord could end up being one of the most important Star Wars releases of the year. Find out when the series premieres on Disney+ on April 6, 2026.