Disney+ failed fans with Maul: Shadow Lord's finale release. Maul's finale arrived with a unique release plan on Monday, April 4, abandoning the Disney+ series' usual drop of 12 a.m. PT and instead pivoting to release at "12 a.m. local time." That strategy was intended to ensure Shadow Lord's climactic chapters dropped as soon as the clock struck Star Wars Day, regardless of region.
Unfortunately, Disney+ and Lucasfilm let Star Wars fans down in that regard, as the Maul: Shadow Lord finale's promised "local time" drop wasn't exactly the same in the U.S. Instead, across every U.S. time zone, the episodes dropped at 12 a.m. PT, meaning those on the East Coast had to wait until 3 a.m. ET.
In the moment, that left only disappointment for many eager viewers who had planned to stay up late and kick off their Star Wars Day with a bang, hampering excitement for the two-part finale that began a historic week for Disney+.
Furthermore, as Disney+ failed to provide specific details on when Maul: Shadow Lord would be released for each timezone, there were no clear answers available (beyond consulting a support chat) on when the episodes would actually stream.
The release structure was the first of its kind for a major Disney+ original, and proved to be a bust in more ways than one. Regions like New Zealand and Australia were able to enjoy Shadow Lord's last chapters almost a day before the U.S.'s West Coast, leading to major spoilers and clips swarming social media.
That's not to say all streamers stuck to Disney+'s rules, as fans on social media have reported using a VPN to take a digital holiday across the globe to be among the first to enjoy Shadow Lord's ending in all of its glory.
Disney+ & Maul: Shadow Lord Can Redeem Themselves
Fans shouldn't worry about Maul: Shadow Lord's controversial finale release plan becoming a new norm for Disney+, as, just one day later, Daredevil: Born Again Season 2's conclusion arrived on schedule at 6 p.m. PT worldwide.
It very much seems the decision was purely made to tie in with Star Wars Day, since the episodes wouldn't have dropped in a territory like New Zealand until the end of the day (around 7 p.m.), it had been released at its usual time.
Disney+ may have blown it with Shadow Lord's release, but The Clone Wars sequel series still earned rave reviews and reactions, perhaps softening the blow of a frustrating few hours of waiting and swerving spoilers.
The studio will have the chance to redeem itself in the not-too-distant future, as Maul: Shadow Lord Season 2 officially is not "too, too long away," while many are hopeful that the show could return to Disney+ as soon as next year.
The Disney+ epic is expected to have a brand new major player in the mix as Paul Bettany's character Dryden Vos (who last appeared in Solo: A Star Wars Story) has now entered the fray, but has, sadly, been recast with a fresh voice actor.
