Behind the Scenes of Star Wars: Maul – The Journey Continues
By Published May 1, 2026, 11:30 AM EDT Jeff Dodge (he/him), a published author and graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena. Fun Fact: he’s been to every single Idol Live! Tour. follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap
Actor Sam Witwer just revealed a major update about when season 2 will be released.
During an interview with , Witwer, who voices Maul and serves as a consulting producer, admitted that he knows the release date of Maul – Shadow Lord season 2 but is "forbidden" from revealing anything specific just yet. However, he did tease that "it's not a situation where the audiences will have to wait too, too long."
The series just debuted less than a month ago, but the creative team has already been working on the second installment "for a while," according to Witwer, who added that the production process has been the "usual development cycle."
"It's the usual development cycle...I know when it's coming out, but it's not a situation where the audiences will have to wait too, too long. But I think I am forbidden from saying what I know, but we are working on it. We've been working on it for a while, and it's interesting."
Disney announced Maul – Shadow Lord's renewal days before season 1 premiered on April 6, which speaks to the company's confidence in the series. When the Star Wars show was first being created, Witwer predicted that they would "deliver a season that the fans will accept." However, he didn't realize how passionate the fans would be for this series.
"When you do a show, you're doing your best, and for my part, I'm just kind of hoping we survive...My prediction for Shadow Lord was, 'Yeah, I think we have the goods. I think we're gonna deliver a season that the fans will accept.' I did not necessarily see all of the passion and how hardcore everyone is locked into this show."
and audiences alike. It has a near-perfect 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes, making this one of the highest-rated Star Wars shows ever, while the audience score is a favorable 90%. Over 4 million viewers tuned in to the series premiere during its first week on Disney+, and the series surged to the top of the streaming charts.
Amid that impressive success, Witwer knows that he and the rest of the team working on Maul – Shadow Lord now have a "tremendous responsibility to slam our foot into the gas and keep it moving" because the "pressure is on." He made it clear that "it's the kind of pressure you ask for."
While his job is, first and foremost, to provide an entertaining experience for fans, he also recognizes that there's a "deeper responsibility because [Star Wars is] a modern myth."
"But now that it's happened, I can tell you that the entire team, myself included, feels a tremendous responsibility to slam our foot into the gas and keep it moving...You just go, 'Oh my god, I have to work so much harder. What can I bring to it? What can be new? Oh, no, we have to keep discovering new things. How are we going to do this?'...I'm a Star Wars fan, so I would like to see it continue. And so the pressure is on, I suppose. We want to tell good stories.
"So, I guess it's the kind of pressure you ask for, right? You know, as someone in the entertainment business, the job is, in fact, to entertain, but also these Star Wars stories, I think, have a deeper responsibility, because it's a modern myth."
While it can be easy to get an inflated sense of self after experiencing massive success, Witwer knows that the team can't get "overconfident." In the end, it's all about living up to what George Lucas "passed down to us" and never forgetting that it's an honor "to be able to tell Star Wars stories."
"We all feel extremely honored to be able to tell Star Wars stories. So we will continue to do our best and not be overconfident, and also just observe what George [Lucas] passed down to us. Because, again, this animation division, we've all been together forever, you know? I've known these people for going on two decades. So, yeah, it's a real responsibility because I think it's a mythology that has a lot of value to it."
The actor has been for many years in projects like Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out, Star Wars Rebels, and Solo: A Star Wars Story. He's also had other roles in Star Wars Resistance, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Rogue One, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Now he's back to reprise the role in Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, which centers on the infamous franchise villain as he sets out to find a new apprentice while building his criminal organization back in the Galactic Empire. include Vanessa Marshall, A. J. LoCascio, Chris Diamantopoulos, Dennis Haysbert, Gideon Adlon, Richard Ayoade, Sam Corlett, Steve Blum, Wagner Moura, Charlie Bushnell, and Keiko Agena.
The Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord season 1 finale will be released Monday, May 4, on Disney+.
Cast
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Maul (voice) -
Two-Boots (voice)
In the aftermath of The Clone Wars, Maul attempts to revive his criminal syndicate on a secluded planet outside Imperial control. His mission for revenge takes a turn when he meets a disillusioned Jedi Padawan, who may prove to be the apprentice he needs to aid his dark ambitions.
Main Genre Creator(s) , Matt Michnovetz Executive Producer(s) Athena Yvette Portillo, , Carrie Beck, Matt Michnovetz, Josh Rimes, Brad Rau Producers Athena Yvette Portillo Seasons 1 Release Window 2026 Expand Collapse
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