Of all the characters introduced in the Star Wars prequel movies, one of the most universally beloved was Darth Maul, the red-faced Sith warrior who wielded a dual-bladed lightsaber in The Phantom Menace. Despite the fact that Maul only featured in that one movie before being seemingly killed by a young Obi-Wan Kenobi, he has a secure place in the hearts of Star Wars fans. The proof is in the pudding: Maul was brought back for both the Star Wars Rebels and Clone Wars animated series, as well as in Solo: A Star Wars Story as an ending stinger. The fans have always wanted more Darth Maul, and according to new reports, they almost got him.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Darth Maul was originally set to appear as a major villain in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, which features Ewan McGregor returning to the title role. Moreover, they report that actor Ray Park, who played Maul in both The Phantom Menace and Solo, was going to reprise the role and was actively prepping for shooting. This was back when Obi-Wan Kenobi had a different plot that revolved around the Jedi Master protecting a young Luke Skywalker from nefarious forces. That was ultimately scrapped over concerns that it was too similar to The Mandalorian’s story about Din Djarin and Baby Yoda.
Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi was originally too much like The Mandalorian
Things get a little messy when you get into the details, as THR’s sources say different things. Some claim that Park was actually on set, prepping stuntwork and possibly even doing test shoots. But another source, this one from Lucasfilm, denies it, saying that Maul was actually never planned or intended to be part of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Whatever the case, Obi-Wan Kenobi was taken in a different direction. At the point that Maul was supposedly in the cards, Darth Vader (who will once again be played by Hayden Christensen) was not a part of the series. It was only after hiring a new head writer that Vader came into the picture. Dave Filoni, who’s been a producer on Star Wars projects for years, suggested including the Grand Inquisitor, a character he created in Star Wars Rebels.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is set to debut on Disney+ on May 25. Darth Maul isn’t in it, which is sad. But on the bright side, Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen are slated to have “the rematch of the century.” The prequel kids will take what we can get.
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