Set between Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, The Clone Wars TV show revolves around the battle between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, referred to as the Separatists.
While we do see some familiar faces from the original Star Wars trilogy, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa do not appear in the show, the obvious reason being that they are yet to be born. However, a young Han Solo almost showed up in The Clone Wars, and an actor well-known in the Star Wars fandom auditioned to play the cynical yet charismatic smuggler-turned-hero.
Sam Witwer, the fan-favorite voice actor behind Darth Maul, revealed during a panel at Dragon Con 2025 that George Lucas was planning on using a young Han Solo for an arc in The Clone Wars.
“There was a moment on Clone Wars where George Lucas was thinking about bringing on a young Han Solo,” he said, according to The Popverse. “I know that Dave [Filoni] auditioned a whole bunch of actors, and I was one of the actors they auditioned. I know that George knows that [imitates grumpy Harrison Ford voice] when I want to, I can do a serviceable Harrison Ford, or I can do an old grumpy Harrison.”
Witwer auditioned for the role, but instead of going for Han Solo’s signature speech and mannerisms, he chose to emulate one of Harrison Ford’s earlier roles.
“What I did was Bob Falfa from American Graffiti. I did that, and I don’t know if Dave got what I was doing, but if you’re doing young Han Solo, he surely isn’t Han Solo yet. He’s trying to be Han Solo,” Witwer explained.
Interestingly, Witwer would’ve been in his 30s when the first six seasons of The Clone Wars aired from 2008 to 2014. Han Solo, meanwhile, would have been 10-12 years old at the time of the Clone Wars, being born in 32 BBY.
Lucas eventually abandoned the idea, and Han Solo never showed up in The Clone Wars or even Rebels, which features Leia in a couple of episodes and Luke in a brief cameo.
Instead of playing Han, Witwer later brought Maul back to life, quite literally.
After being cut in half by Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi in The Phantom Menace, Maul survived by “focusing on his hatred of Obi-Wan Kenobi,” per the Star Wars databank. His halved body was dumped on Lotho Minor, where he slowly tumbled into madness until he was found and rescued by Savage Opress.
Revived by Mother Talzin on Dathomir, Maul went on a series of power-hungry endeavors, including an attempt to rule Mandalore, which drew the wrath of his former master, Darth Sidious. He played a crucial role in Ahsoka and Rex’s survival in the final episode of The Clone Wars, and later appeared in the Rebels timeline.
Maul’s obsession with Obi-Wan never faded through the years, and he met a fitting end at the Jedi’s hand on Tatooine in Rebels.
Witwer will return as Maul in his own spin-off show, Maul: Shadow Lord, set after the events of The Clone Wars. Arriving in 2026, the show will see the former Sith rebuild his criminal empire and take on an apprentice during the Imperial era.