Lucasfilm is preparing for the release of yet another upcoming Star Wars show, and this is set to turn the focus to on a truly dangerous and (and exciting) character. Maul – Shadow Lord sees the titular ex-Sith Lord attempt to rebuild his criminal empire and recruit a new apprentice in the aftermath of the Clone Wars. It’s obvious that the animated series takes cues from SW fare that’s preceded it. However, it turns out a classic ‘90s film also served as a key “touchstone” for what the creative team wanted to achieve.
The first trailer for Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord teased that this particular entry in the canon would be a thrilling ride. So it makes all the sense in the world that series co-creator Matt Michnovetz and his team looked to a thriller for inspiration while crafting the story. Michnovetz recently spoke with SFX Magazine on CinemaBlend and shared some keen insight to his approach to this chapter of Maul’s story. As it turns out, he and his crew were partially inspired by one of Michael Mann’s greatest feature films:
Heat is a good touchstone for Maul. There’s a pulpy noir feel to all this, where we’re going to show some of the underbelly of the galaxy and the crime syndicates. Maul is a great catalyst for all these characters coming together.
A 30-year-old classic, Heat is a cat-and-mouse tale centered around homicide detective Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino), who pursues seasoned criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro). The film received rave reviews upon its release in 1995 and is still regarded as one of the greatest crime films ever made (as it should be). It may be tempting to assume that for Maul, Michnovetz only looked to conjure the same intense injury Mann employed for his film. However, there’s more to it than that.
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Shadow Lord introduces a new character to the Star Wars universe, Brander Lawson (Wagner Moura), a police detective who tracks Maul’s illicit activities on the crime-ridden planet of Janix. Michnovetz explained to SFX that Lawson – an honest cop – would struggle to balance his commitments to his job with his obligations to his young son, who he barely sees. Such a dichotomy is similar to how Pacino’s McCauley deals with his work affecting his own personal life. As for Brander, Mitchonovetz teased how much drama he’ll deal with:
Lawson’s conflicted. He has a high position at the police station, and a kid that he hardly gets to see because of the hours he works. His job was also the reason he’s not so connected to his wife, because she got a job for the Empire, and he’s against the Empire. But Two-Boots, who he works with, is very much by the book.
I’m eager to see how Maul (played by the returning Sam Witwer) and Lawson’s journeys collide on the spinoff show, especially since the former doesn’t exactly have the best of intentions. While the Zabrak will be facing off with threats even more evil than himself when we see him next, Matt Michnovetz promises that he’ll still be up to his villainous ways while maintaining a code of sorts.
There are already so many reasons for me to be excited about the Maul show, including the sweet premise and striking animation. However, I think I’ll have an even greater smile on my face while watching it due to knowing that the creative team partially used one of the best movies of the ‘90s as a template.
So check out Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord when its first two episodes premiere on April 6 as part of the 2026 TV schedule. The show will be available to stream with a Disney+ subscription and, coincidentally, fans can use that same membership to watch Heat in the meantime.
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