It’s been over a week since we got the epic finale of Maul: Shadow Lord’s first season. I want to start this article with a huge amount of appreciation for the show.
I have always had some difficulty getting into animated shows. I don’t know why. I tried Marvel Zombies recently, I got halfway through Star Wars Rebels, and I never watched Star Wars: The Clone Wars. I have always preferred a live-action setting with any project I watch, whether it be Marvel Studios, DC Studios, or Star Wars.
Maul is a character I have always admired. Of course, I haven’t watched his full story in Clone Wars or Rebels beyond clips on YouTube, but even from those small moments, he is a character I have always liked. Naturally, when Shadow Lord was released, I was intrigued.
It took until the show finished, and for my friends to rave about how great it was, for me to finally pull the trigger and watch it. To say I was blown away is a complete understatement. I loved every single second of it. The show has even pushed me back to where I left off on Rebels so I can finally finish that series, and I plan on watching The Clone Wars afterwards.
It’s led me to think about what Star Wars could do with Maul if Lucasfilm ever wanted to pursue him in live-action again. The last time we saw Maul in the flesh was in Solo: A Star Wars Story. It’s a shame because Maul’s reveal in Solo instantly reignited excitement around the character, yet almost eight years later, Disney still hasn’t properly followed up on it.
Now, Maul’s story has been told in several projects. We’ve seen him in The Phantom Menace, The Clone Wars, Rebels, and Solo. Let’s look at the timeline for Maul:
| Project | Approx. Year |
|---|---|
| Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace | 32 BBY |
| Star Wars: The Clone Wars | 22–19 BBY |
| Maul: Shadow Lord | 18 BBY |
| Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order | 14 BBY |
| Solo: A Star Wars Story | 10 BBY |
| Star Wars Jedi: Survivor | 9 BBY |
| Star Wars Rebels | 5–1 BBY (Maul dies in 2 BBY) |
Looking at that timeline, it’s clear that Star Wars already has a sizeable window where Maul and Cal Kestis are both active, making a crossover feel far more realistic than many fans may think.
What you will probably notice from this table is that I have included the Jedi games focused on Cal Kestis. This distinction is important, and it may represent the best opportunity to showcase Maul in a live-action setting. This only works depending on what Respawn Entertainment does with the third Jedi game, as they could very well include Maul, especially with Sam Witwer fully back in the recording booth.
During the events of Fallen Order, we see Cal Kestis venture to Dathomir, which is Maul’s homeworld. Cal’s actions on Dathomir were significant enough that it’s hard to imagine they would have gone unnoticed by Maul. He fought Taron Malicos on the planet and defeated him with the help of Merrin, who Cal later becomes romantically involved.
All of this leads to what Star Wars could do with Maul, because both characters are active at the same time. Cal was even recently referenced by Luke Skywalker in the latest Star Wars novel written from Luke’s perspective. If Luke is aware of Cal, it’s not hard to imagine that Maul would be too, given the events that unfolded on Dathomir.
It has been rumoured for some time that Lucasfilm wants to produce a live-action Cal Kestis series, with Cameron Monaghan reprising the role. How true that is remains to be seen.
However, if Cal does make the jump to live-action, Maul would be the perfect character to slot into that story. More importantly, Cal and Maul are natural foils, two survivors shaped by trauma, both tied to Dathomir, and both forced to confront Darth Vader in very different ways.
It would also give Lucasfilm the perfect opportunity to finally pay off the cliffhanger they set up at the end of Solo.
There is also Vader to consider. Both characters have felt the wrath of Vader. Maul didn’t fare too well against the Sith Lord in Shadow Lord, and Cal was forced to run away, only escaping thanks to Cere Junda. I’d love to see a dysfunctional team-up between the two, and it would make even more sense with Cal seemingly teetering on the brink of the dark side by the end of Survivor.
It’s a far-fetched idea, I know. Shadow Lord has already been renewed for a second season, and the third Jedi game hasn’t even arrived yet. There is still a lot of story to tell before this could ever happen.
But if Lucasfilm ever decides to bring Cal Kestis to live-action, there may be no better character to stand opposite him than Maul.
