While Star Wars fans have more Star Wars content than ever under the Disney umbrella, that's not to say the years between 2005's Revenge of the Sith and 2015's The Force Awakens were void of stories from that galaxy far, far away. In fact, within that ten-year gap between Star Wars' live-action projects, Lucasfilm Animation's The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels offered fans some of the best moments in Star Wars and expanded the galaxy with new and compelling heroes and villains.
Interestingly enough, a live-action Star Wars series only elevated these two animated shows when Season 2 of The Mandalorian brought Ahsoka Tano and Bo-Katan Kryze, two animated characters from both Rebels and The Clone Wars, into live-action.
Then, in Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Lucasfilm's latest animated series, Star Wars flipped the script when The Mandalorian's Fennec Shand appeared in animated form, confirming to fans and critics alike that the future of Star Wars will involve both mediums.
While Obi-Wan Kenobi starring Ewan McGregor is the next Star Wars series to air on Disney+, Lucasfilm Animation's Season 2 of The Bad Batch is reportedly waiting in the wings; but according to a new report, it's not the only animated show Lucasfilm Animation currently has in production.
Bad Batch Composer Teases New Star Wars Animated Project
In an interview with The Convor Call, longtime Star Wars composer Kevin Kiner revealed that in addition to Season 2 of The Bad Batch, Lucasfilm is working on a brand new Star Wars animated project, saying, "It's a very special project, some great, great people are involved:"
“You know, we are working on a new project. It’s an animated project. It’s a Star Wars project. And that’s all we can say. It’s really, really frikkin’ great… To the point where Lucasfilm and Disney are giving us full orchestra for every episode… It’s a very special project, some great, great people are involved, and we’re really privileged to be part of that one. And I probably said too much already.”
Having composed the music for The Clone Wars movie in 2008, as well as The Clone Wars series, Star Wars Rebels, and Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Kiner is clearly Lucasfilm Animation's go-to composer.
In addition to his own original themes Omega and Ahsoka Tano, Kiner still pays tribute to original Star Wars composer John Williams by including cues from his iconic Star Wars compositions.
Is a Darth Maul Animated Series Headed to Disney+?
The fact that Lucasfilm has another animated show in the works only proves that the studio is truly relying on both mediums to tell its new Star Wars stories. But just who's story merits this new series and, as Kevin Kiner shared, a full orchestra for each episode?
One possibility is the iconic Phantom Menace villain, Darth Maul.
In 2021, there was a rumor that several Star Wars voice actors were recording for Lucasfilm Animation, and among them was Sam Witwer, who has been the voice of Maul since The Clone Wars.
While Maul has been a reoccurring presence in various Star Wars projects, including Star Wars Rebels and Solo: A Star Wars Story, there are gaps in his story that could be explored in a series, especially given his popularity.
Some fans have been speculating that Maul may return to live-action in Obi-Wan Kenobi, which could play into the story that his potential series intends to tell. It's also worth noting that Maul had a significant presence on the recently released 2022 Star Wars Celebration poster, despite having no reported roles at that time.
Then again, another possibility is that this animated series will be Tales of the Jedi.
In late 2021, StarWarsNews.net reported that Lucasfilm employee gifts featured logos of the studio's upcoming shows and films, as well as a logo for an unannounced series called Tales of the Jedi.
While the logo could be representative of the revival of the Dark Horse Comics series from the '90s that was set in the Old Republic, it was among the logos for Star Wars films and television shows.
Whether this yet-to-be-announced animated show is for Maul or the Old Republic or something new altogether remains to be seen. But if Disney and Lucasfilm are this invested, and Kiner is composing the tunes, fans of Star Wars Animation definitely have something to look forward to.
