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.
However, Paul Bettany didn't reprise his role in the Disney+ series. Instead, the actor was replaced by longtime voice actor Scott Whyte, who lent his voice to Dryden Vos in the final two episodes of Maul: A Shadow Lord.
Vos's larger importance in the Crimson Dawn storyline positions him as a major player in the already-confirmed Maul: Shadow Lord Season 2 (set to release soon on Disney+, according to Sam Witwer). This means that Whyte will return in future episodes of the Clone Wars sequel.
Whyte has an extensive voice acting resume, which includes roles in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, Batman: Arkham Knight, Transformers: Devastation, Skylanders: SuperChargers, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
Star Wars also released a new Dryden Vos character poster to celebrate the villain's return in Maul: Shadow Lord.
In May 2022, Bettany previously addressed his Star Wars future as Dryden Vos, confirming his willingness to return to the galaxy far, far away:
"I would love to mess around with Dryden Vos...I love that idea."
Given that Vos died in Solo: A Star Wars Story, the only way for the actor to reprise his role as the Star Wars villain could revolve around a prequel based on the early rise of the Crimson Dawn set even before the events of Maul: Shadow Lord.
What Happened to Dryden Vos in Maul: Shadow Lord's Finale?
Warning - this section contains spoilers for Maul: Shadow Lord's Season 1 finale.
Dryden Vos played a significant supporting role in Maul: Shadow Lord Season 1's final two episodes, offering Maul and his crew a way to get off Janix in exchange for the former Sith's help in a power play.
Vos wanted Maul to eliminate the current leader of Crimson Dawn (Rintero) and install Vos as the new overarching head. A desperate Maul agreed, but Star Wars fans know that he has a secret plan in mind to take over Crimson Dawn for himself.
The alliance enabled Maul's remaining group, which includes his new apprentice Devon Izara, to escape Imperial forces from Janix.
The new "partnership" between Maul and Vos sets up an interesting Maul: Shadow Lord Season 2 because it will finally fill in the gaps of how Maul took over Crimson Dawn, how he defeated Rintero, and how he was able to manipulate Vos into agreeing to sideline himself and become the organization's public face instead of the true leader.
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