2026's Clone Wars sequel introduced the Star Wars franchise's equivalent of Gotham City. Maul: Shadow Lord follows the story of Maul (Sam Witwer) as he rebuilds his criminal empire on Janix, a Mid Rim planet outside the attention of the Galactic Empire. Janix's isolation from the Empire makes it the perfect hiding spot and base of operations for Maul. However, his reckless pursuit of revenge againsts against Emperor Palpatine risks becoming his downfall, as his bold actions could draw the very Imperial forces he seeks to evade (such as Darth Vader himself).
In a Star Wars.com interview, Maul: Shadow Lord head writer Matt Michnovetz described the show's setting of Janix as having a "Metropolis, Gotham, and noir DNA" within it due to its complex underbelly, positioning the planet as the galaxy's gritty, neon-soaked equivalent of Batman's Gotham City.
Michnovetz also teased in the same interview that there is a "weird kind of subtle threat of the frontier" beyond the planet's capital, hinting that there are hidden threats that could disrupt Maul's day-to-day operations in Janix:
"What's under the crater? What's at the edge of the crater? What's beyond the crater? Despite the Metropolis/Gotham/noir DNA of it, there's also this weird kind of subtle threat of the frontier beyond what is on the outside of this city."
The first two episodes of Maul: Shadow Lord showcased Janix as a gritty, crime-ridden urban underworld, slowly pushed to the brink of becoming a lawless city. The planet is eerily similar to Gotham in more ways than one, as the DC location was hounded by organized crime figures and a police force overwhelmed by the number of villains rising from the pit.
Interestingly, Maul: Shadow Lord already introduced its own version of Commissioner Gordon in the form of Captain Brander Lawson, a lowly police detective doing everything he can to protect the planet from the existing criminal forces. What makes it even more complicated for Lawson, though, is Maul's arrival, which disrupts the already-fragile city's system.
While Maul is no Batman, the former Sith Lord acts as a powerful disruptive force on Janix. His ruthless schemes shatter the planet's fragile balance, transforming a relatively isolated criminal haven into a full-blown battleground between his growing criminal empire and the forces of Palpatine's Galactic Empire.
Two new episodes of Maul: Shadow Lord premiere every Monday on Disney+ at midnight PT/3 a.m. ET, leading to the two-part finale on Star Wars Day, May 4 (read more on why Maul: Shadow Lord's release on Disney+ is historic).
Why Creating Maul: Shadow Lord's Janix Into Star Wars' Gotham Is Brilliant
Based on what happened in Maul: Shadow Lord's first two episodes, it seems that Janix is the perfect criminal playground for Maul, which perfectly positions the planet as a base for his post-Clone Wars resurgence.
Janix is portrayed as a seedy, self-contained criminal ecosystem ripe for the taking, and Maul is the perfect villain, driven by ambition to rebuild his criminal empire in this location. This is on top of the fact that this is a place where Maul can operate with relative freedom.
By leaning into a neo-noir aesthetic, Maul: Shadow Lord brings Janix to vibrant life after dark, much like Gotham's iconic, gritty nighttime scenes. The planet's urban noir aesthetic serves as the perfect backdrop for standout lightsaber duels, escalating consequences, and the Empire's daunting arrival.
All in all, the 2026 Clone Wars sequel's Gotham-inspired vision for Janix captures the gritty essence of DC's iconic city while unlocking compelling storytelling possibilities for its complex characters.
