Maul - Shadow Lord broke the biggest rule in storytelling as it completely changed past events in Star Wars canon, but series lead Sam Witwer explained exactly why, and it makes complete sense. It is no secret that Disney and Lucasfilm created something truly special with Maul - Shadow Lord. The animated Disney+ series is currently tied with The Empire Strikes Back on IMDb (8.7 out of 10) as the highest-rated Star Wars project to ever be released, and fans can't stop talking about it. However, it made a lot of bold choices, and one of those choices was to entirely break canon in order to support Maul's character arc.

In Maul - Shadow Lord Episode 8, Maul found himself alone following a fight that pitted him against Marrok and the Eleventh Brother, who are two Force-wielding Dark Side users part of an initiative known as the Inquisitorius. As Maul was essentially dealing with defeat, he encountered multiple visions of the past. These visions presented themselves as flashbacks and were extremely important moments from Star Wars canon that led Maul to be in the position he was in during the events of Shadow Lord.

One major character is confirmed to meet their end, as shown in early released footage from The Mandalorian and Grogu. Star Wars will be back in theaters for the first time in seven years with The Mandalorian and Grogu, adding the next chapter in the story that started on Disney+. While it is confirmed to be one of the shorter movies in Star Wars history, this will not stop Lucasfilm and Disney from making history with its plot.

Disney shared the first 18 minutes of footage from The Mandalorian and Grogu during its presentation at CinemaCon 2026, for which The Direct was in attendance. The footage included a major death early in the film, which will be the first time an important character has been killed off at the start of a Star Wars movie.

Darth Vader finally returned on-screen in 2026 to kill off another major Jedi Master to establish his dominance in the galaxy far, far away. Since his transformation and fall to the Dark Side during the events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Darth Vader has been responsible for killing over a dozen Jedi Knights, systematically hunting down and eliminating the survivors from Order 66 (aka the Great Purge). 

From seasoned Masters and Council members to Padawans, many of these deaths were shockingly brutal, often delivered with cold precision or overwhelming fury. These kills didn't just eliminate the last remnants of the Jedi Order, but they also cemented Vader's reputation as one of the most terrifying and powerful Sith Lords the galaxy had ever seen.

Maul: Shadow Lord's Season 1 finale brought back Darth Vader in the most brutal way possible by showcasing his act of killing Jedi Master Eeko-Dio Daki, which further pushed Devon Izara to embrace the Dark Side of the Force. Daki serves as the 12th Jedi Master Darth Vader killed in Star Wars canon, joining the likes of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Cere Junda, and Shaak-Ti.

An epic lightsaber duel took place in a Star Wars Legends project in 2001, but it was recently brought into canon by Lucasfilm and Disney. Lightsaber fights are one of the cornerstones of the Star Wars franchise. Nearly every canon project includes at least one, and they are often the climax of each rivalry, storyline, or even friendship. 

Lucasfilm’s newest Disney+ series, Maul - Shadow Lord, has been a smash hit for the studio and for Disney, and the season finale was no exception. The series has included a lot of major moments in the galaxy far, far away, but the biggest undoubtedly occurred in the Season 1 finale when Darth Vader and Maul crossed lightsaber blades for the first time in canon.

Despite Anakin Skywalker and Maul appearing all throughout the animated Clone Wars series, the two never formally clashed. Both characters also showed up in Star Wars Rebels, and were even featured in the same episode on the same planet (Rebels’ Season 2 finale, “Twilight of the Apprentice”). However, they never dueled until now, at least in canon.

In a 2001 Star Wars Legends comic from Dark Horse Comics titled Star Wars Tales #9, fans got to see Darth Vader vs. Maul for the one and only time. Since Maul debuted as a Sith Lord in 1999’s The Phantom Menace, Star Wars fans dreamed of seeing those two characters go toe-to-toe, and that comic granted those wishes.

Star Wars just released a brand new spot for The Mandalorian & Grogu, and it solely focuses on the fact that Din Djarin could perish in the upcoming movie, almost as if Disney and Lucasfilm want fans to be convinced that the titular character won't make it. Din Djarin and Grogu have had their fair share of close calls in the Star Wars universe, but the stakes could be raised in the upcoming feature film, The Mandalorian & Grogu. 

The Mandalorian & Grogu's May 22 release date is getting closer and closer, so Disney and Lucasfilm have ramped up the marketing campaign for the upcoming title, which will be the first Star Wars movie to be made in seven years. The latest promotional material in that campaign is a 34-second spot that was released online. There is no groundbreaking footage in the spot, but one constant throughout is dialogue saying that Din Djarin will most likely be killed on this mission.

Marvel and Star Wars will deliver a history-making moment on Disney+, courtesy of their newest releases. Both Disney-owned franchises are in the midst of big years, especially with Star Wars bringing a movie to the big screen for the first time since 2019. This is no different on the streaming side, as both have multiple new stories lined up for Disney+ releases.

The week of May 4 will feature Disney+ releases for the finales of Marvel Television's Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 and Maul: Shadow Lord Season 1. Maul Season 1's final two episodes are officially streaming as of Monday, May 4 (also known as May the Fourth/Star Wars Day), and Born Again's eighth and final Season 2 episode is set to begin streaming on Tuesday, May 5. 

Star Wars officially replaced MCU veteran Paul Bettany in the 2026 Clone Wars sequel on Disney+ with a longtime voice actor. Bettany, who is known for his roles as JARVIS and Vision in the MCU, joined the Star Wars franchise as a key antagonist in Solo: A Star Wars Story in 2018. The actor portrayed Dryden Vos, the public face and leader of Crimson Dawn (one of the galaxy's most ruthless crime syndicates). Vos served as the big bad opposite Han Solo in the film, but he was killed by his trusted lieutenant, Qi'ra (Emilia Clarke), at the end to take over his place as Crimson Dawn's front-facing leader answering to Maul. 

Set after the events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Maul: Shadow Lord brings back Dryden Vos into the fray, laying the groundwork for his eventual appearance in Solo: A Star Wars Story. 

The arrival of the month of May is cause for celebration in a galaxy far, far away. Star Wars gets to prove that it's not a franchise to be trifled with, with all sorts of events and releases in honor of Star Wars Day on May 4. The tie-ins can come in all shapes and sizes. However, one of the most popular is the annual crossover with Fortnite, the battle royale multiplayer video game that prides itself on adding popular IPs to its ever-growing arsenal.

For Star Wars Day 2026, Fortnite introduced several new game modes that give the Battlefront franchise a run for its money. There's also a new Din Djarin skin dropping in the game to coincide with the release of The Mandalorian and Grogu in theaters on May 22. With that in mind, it's no surprise that the titular bounty hunter was featured in Fortnite's marketing as often as the likes of Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine. But another character, one with a controversial past, continues to make the rounds: Rey.

The Mandalorian & Grogu's main villain was finally given their time in the spotlight on an official new poster for the upcoming film. It can not be stated enough that The Mandalorian & Grogu is the most important Star Wars project in many years, and potentially since 1980's The Empire Strikes Back. The film's success could directly determine what the future of the franchise looks like in terms of feature films, and if the Disney+ shows will continue to be made at the same level as they have been. Luckily, the upcoming movie will seemingly have strong villains to give it a bit of a boost.

A brand new poster for The Mandalorian & Grogu was officially released by Disney and Lucasfilm in China as the marketing campaign for the first Star Wars movie in seven years continues. Of course, the poster features Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin and his foundling, Grogu, front and center, but a menacing villain looms over the two in the background.

A major Ahsoka villain is back in a big way for Lucasfilm's newest Disney+ show, and the character feels notably different this time around. This villain was first introduced in the live-action Ahsoka in 2023 and later featured in the animated Star Wars anthology, Tales of the Empire. His latest appearance in Maul – Shadow Lord is the biggest spotlight the character has received to date, and Lucasfilm has made one key casting change to support his return.

The villain in question is Inquisitor Marrok, who Paul Darnell physically portrayed in Ahsoka, an almost non-speaking role. The character wore a mask throughout the show and relied more on action than words. With Marrok now functioning as a fully verbal antagonist in Maul – Shadow Lord, the role has been handed to voice actor A.J. LoCascio. LoCascio is no stranger to a galaxy far, far away, having previously voiced multiple incarnations of Han Solo in LEGO Star Wars projects. 

Maul – Shadow Lord premiered on Disney+ on April 6, with Sam Witwer reprising his long-running role as the former Sith Lord, Darth Maul. The 10-episode first season is set several years before the events of Ahsoka, which means Marrok is in his prime as the First Brother of the Inquisitorius. 

Star Wars confirmed that The Mandalorian & Grogu will include a cameo that will be extremely similar in nature to George Lucas' cameo in the prequel trilogy. Cameos have become increasingly popular in the galaxy far, far away since Disney acquired Lucasfilm. Some cameos have added to the plot of projects or the overarching story, such as Ahsoka Tano's appearance in The Book of Boba Fett, and others have been more for fun, like Jack Black and Lizzo appearing in The Mandalorian Season 3.

Lucasfilm officially confirmed that Dave Filoni will reprise his role as Trapper Wolf in The Mandalorian & Grogu. Filoni has portrayed this character in MandoVerse projects, but his role hasn't been substantial and can be classified as nothing more than a fun cameo.

For years, Star Wars fans have watched the MandoVerse grow from a single breakout hit into a full-fledged interconnected corner of the galaxy far, far away. What began with The Mandalorian quickly expanded into multiple spin-offs, crossovers, and long-term storytelling plans under Lucasfilm. Now, however, new reports suggest that era may be quietly winding down.

According to industry insider Daniel Richtman, The Mandalorian Season 4 is reportedly no longer moving forward, while a separate scoop claims Ahsoka Season 3 has not been greenlit and may never happen. Combined with a lack of updates on other spin-offs, the future of the MandoVerse appears increasingly uncertain, marking a major shift in how Star Wars approaches its Disney+ storytelling strategy.

A new piece of marketing art may have unintentionally revealed that two MandoVerse characters will be appearing in The Mandalorian & Grogu, despite those characters and their actors not being confirmed for the project. The Mandalorian & Grogu will absolutely feature some characters who have crossed paths with Din Djarin and Grogu before. Star Wars Rebels’ Zeb Orrelios will apparently have a fairly substantial role in the upcoming movie, and it has been confirmed that Dave Filoni’s Trapper Wolf will have a bit of screen time as well.

An official Mandalorian & Grogu crossover event is coming to the Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes mobile game. To promote the crossover, Lucasfilm and EA revealed a brand new Mandalorian & Grogu-inspired piece of art that featured the titular characters, Jeremy Allen White’s Rotta the Hutt, and more.

Star Wars offered an update on Ahsoka Season 2’s Disney+ release that should come as a relief to viewers. Ahsoka has been away from Disney+ for three long years, leaving many wondering when the next chapter of the former Jedi’s story would come to light. Especially considering how widely mixed reviews have been for other recently released Lucasfilm projects from this franchise, anticipation is high to see where Rosario Dawson’s hero will go.

The Star Wars Insider magazine confirmed that Ahsoka Season 2 is set to debut on Disney+ "later this year." As this outlet is the official magazine for the Star Wars franchise, the news is coming directly from those responsible for setting release dates for shows like Ahsoka.

While multiple reports teased Ahsoka Season 2 coming in 2026 to Disney+, the show has yet to receive an official release timeframe. Making this news more notable is that filming finished in October 2025, leaving questions about why Star Wars has not set the show's release date yet as of mid-2026. Also important to remember is that this season is one of two Star Wars releases on Disney+ without a confirmed release date, along with Star Wars: Visions – The Ninth Jedi.

Maul – Shadow Lord is the latest series from Lucasfilm Animation, a show that follows in the footsteps of projects like The Bad Batch, Rebels, and The Clone Wars. Not only does the show live up to those predecessors, but it also exceeds them in many ways, including its beautiful animation; though, things might have been different with Star Wars legend Dave Filoni's guiding hand.

Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, streaming on Disney+, is set after the Clone Wars and follows Maul (voiced by Sam Witwer) as he attempts to rebuild his criminal syndicate and seek revenge against those who wronged him. The Direct Witwer for an exclusive interview, where the actor revealed how Lucasfilm Chief Creative Officer for Star Wars, Dave Filoni, contributed to their ambitious animated series.

Witwer revealed that early on in the project's development, Filoni "gave the mandate that [they] must improve every aspect of [their] filmmaking procedure for Lucasfilm Animation." 

The official clip from the finale of 2026's Clone Wars sequel officially revealed the biggest lightsaber battle of the Skywalker Saga. The Disney era of Star Wars delivered a wide variety of lightsaber battles, spanning the sequel trilogy and numerous Disney+ series set across different timelines. However, most duels remain relatively intimate, typically featuring just two to four active lightsabers on screen at once, including clashes between Finn and Kylo Ren, Rey and Kylo Ren, and the unexpected team-up between Rey and Kylo against Snoke's Praetorian Guards. 

Star Wars (via Rotten Tomatoes) officially released a new clip from the finale of Maul: Shadow Lord on Disney+, showcasing a big lightsaber battle involving Maul, Devon Izara, and Master Daki against Marrok and the Eleventh Brother.  

This large-scale, chaotic battle stands as one of the biggest lightsaber melees in the Disney era of Star Wars, with at least five to seven active lightsabers (if one would count Marrok and the Eleventh Brother's dual-bladed sabers) clashing simultaneously amid blaster fire going on in the background. 

The Mandalorian & Grogu, which is the next Star Wars movie that will be released and the first feature film from the franchise since 2019, will replace something that was controlled by Emperor Palpatine in Return of the Jedi. The Mandalorian & Grogu is perhaps the most important Star Wars movie in history, as it has so much riding on it. If the film is successful, it gives Disney and Lucasfilm the green light to create more Star Wars films and continue to flesh out the MandoVerse, but if it is a financial flop, the on-screen future of Star Wars could be in jeopardy.

Fans recently got to learn a bit more about The Mandalorian & Grogu in a recent story published by Empire Magazine. In that story, it was confirmed that the upcoming film will feature something called the Shadow Council, which was previously introduced in The Mandalorian Season 3.

Essentially, the Shadow Council is a direct replacement of Emperor Palpatine's Imperial Ruling Council. It is made up of individuals who were high-ranking officers in the Galactic Empire, and they are the ones pulling the strings and giving the orders to the Imperial remnants spread throughout the galaxy.

The fearsome Inquisitors made their return in Maul - Shadow Lord, but their fate in the future of Star Wars has already been revealed. Maul - Shadow Lord is an animated prequel series following the legendary Sith Lord, Darth Maul, between the events of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, as he attempts to rebuild his criminal syndicate. Maul is surrounded by enemies, however, and that includes the Jedi-hunting operatives, Marrok and the Eleventh Brother.

The Inquisitorius Organization was created by the Empire in the wake of Order 66 and comprised force-sensitive dark side-adjacent individuals trained to hunt down any surviving Jedi throughout the galaxy. The Inquisitors have popped up in several Star Wars projects to date, including Star Wars Rebels, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Jedi: Fallen Order.

The Inquisitors typically go by numbered names (Sixth Brother, Second Sister, etc.) and are overseen by the Grand Inquisitor, who in turn answers to Darth Vader. They adhere to the rules of the Dark Side, although they aren't given the rankings of Sith Lords. 

Maul – Shadow Lord star Sam Witwer was honest about Season 2 and its pressures. CGI-animated series have been a staple of Star Wars' TV calendar for almost two decades since The Clone Wars began. One of the prequel trilogy gap-filler's biggest impacts on Star Wars canon was resurrecting Darth Maul, now voiced by Sam Witwer, who is currently leading his own sequel series, Maul – Shadow Lord, on Disney+. The series explores Maul rebuilding his crime syndicate during the Empire's reign, and fans already know they can expect more adventures with the former Sith Lord, as its Season 2 renewal was made public in April.

The Direct spoke exclusively with Maul – Shadow Lord star Sam Witwer, who addressed the Disney+ series' Season 2 release and the pressure it presents. When asked how long fans will be kept waiting for a second season, Witwer, who is also a credited consulting producer on the series, noted that fans won't have to "wait too, too long" and he even "[knows] when it's coming out," although that release window remains a closely guarded secret:

The Direct: "Obviously, everyone's loving Season 1, and we know there's a Season 2 on the way. How vaguely can you tease? How long are we going to have to wait to see this story continue?"

Ahsoka Season 2 is one of Star Wars' most anticipated TV shows, and the hype has only intensified following an exciting new addition by Lucasfilm. The Disney+ series returns with a cast stacked from top to bottom, bringing together some of the most beloved characters in the franchise's animated history and translating them to live action. The show now has at least ten main cast members after this interesting addition.

Tommie Earl Jenkins has been confirmed as a recurring cast member in Ahsoka Season 2. The casting was revealed through Jenkins' official résumé on Actors Access, where the Disney+ series appears under his television credits with a recurring designation. The inclusion of a "recurring" listing means Jenkins will appear across multiple episodes, not simply a one-off appearance.