More than a decade after Disney acquired one of Hollywood’s most influential franchises, the creative legacy of its original architect still lingers in unexpected ways. George Lucas no longer runs Star Wars, but the ideas he left behind continue to shape the galaxy far, far away.
The filmmaker sold Lucasfilm to The Walt Disney Company in 2012 for approximately $4.05 billion, handing over the franchise he had nurtured since the release of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977). The deal paved the way for an aggressive new era of films, television series, and streaming projects.
Lucas created Star Wars with Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, writing and directing the film that launched the franchise. He later oversaw the original trilogy as producer before returning to direct the prequel trilogy, shaping the saga’s mythology, political themes, and deeper lore surrounding the Force.
Lucas famously described the saga’s characters as his “kids,” later remarking that he had “sold them to the white slavers,” a comment he later apologized for in an interview (via Variety). Over time, the director softened his tone, acknowledging that Disney would inevitably chart its own course.
The studio quickly launched a new trilogy with Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), followed by Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). The films generated enormous box office returns but sparked intense debate among fans about storytelling direction and continuity.
Television became another pillar of Disney’s strategy. Series like The Mandalorian helped usher Star Wars into the streaming era and expanded the franchise’s storytelling across Disney+, introducing new characters while revisiting legacy figures from the original trilogy and animated series.
Lucas himself expressed mixed feelings about this period. He criticized Star Wars: The Force Awakens for leaning heavily on nostalgia, though he later suggested he had “moved past it,” telling WSJ Magazine (via People) that Disney had taken the franchise in its own direction. Lucas also notably enjoyed Obi-Wan Kenobi.
For years, the prevailing narrative suggested Lucas’s original sequel trilogy concepts had been shelved entirely. His proposed storylines reportedly explored the Force in greater depth, including the microscopic midi-chlorians and enigmatic beings known as the Whills.
Another major element involved a radically different antagonist. Lucas imagined Darth Maul rising as a powerful crime lord in the galaxy’s criminal underworld, while Leia rebuilt the Republic following the fall of the Empire.
Those ideas never materialized on the big screen during the sequel trilogy era. Yet recent developments suggest Lucasfilm may now be revisiting at least part of that vision.
Lucasfilm Turns Back to George Lucas’s Story Ideas
According to Lucasfilm’s co-president Dave Filoni, the studio’s upcoming Disney+ project Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord will directly draw inspiration from conversations he once had with Lucas about the character.
“Maul is a character that's our responsibility,” Filoni recently told StarWars.com. “George [Lucas] and I had had some talks about Maul over the years and what his plans for Maul had been. And so I felt it was a way of honoring that future that we were going to have and finally bringing some of it to light.”
Filoni’s involvement makes the connection particularly notable. The filmmaker was personally recruited by Lucas in 2005 to help develop Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which became one of the franchise’s most influential animated projects.
Over time, Filoni evolved into one of the franchise’s most prominent creative voices. His work spans Star Wars Rebels, The Mandalorian, and multiple animated projects, eventually leading to his current role as Lucasfilm’s Chief Creative Officer and Co-President.
Throughout that journey, Filoni has frequently credited Lucas with shaping his creative approach. He has often said that Lucas “taught me how to think about Star Wars,” a philosophy that continues to influence the franchise’s storytelling direction.
Darth Maul has also been closely tied to Filoni’s creative work. After debuting in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), the character returned in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and later appeared again in Star Wars Rebels, expanding his story far beyond the original film.
That long-running narrative arc now appears to be continuing with Maul – Shadow Lord.
What ‘Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord’ Will Explore
The new animated series takes place roughly one year after Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Chronologically, the story unfolds between Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) and Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.
At this point in the timeline, the galaxy has fallen under Imperial rule, and many former power players are struggling to survive. Maul, once a Sith apprentice, attempts to rebuild his influence in the criminal underworld.
The series will also introduce an unexpected partnership. According to early details, Maul forms an alliance with a Jedi Padawan as he attempts to regain power during the early days of the Empire.
“He was trained to hate and destroy the Jedi without ever questioning it,” explains voice actor Sam Witwer, who has voiced Darth Maul for over a decade. “Now he’s looking at the galaxy going, ‘Boy, we could sure use a Jedi Knight or two.'”
Witwer continued, highlighting Maul’s shifting perspective during the Imperial era.
“At least with the Jedi, you knew where they stood. There’s something to respect there. This Empire, he sees no values there, just the naked grab for influence, power, and money.”
Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord is expected to run for 10 episodes, with two episodes being released each week. Fittingly, its finale will air on May 4 — also known as Star Wars Day — just weeks before Lucasfilm shifts attention back to theaters with The Mandalorian & Grogu (2026).
However, not everyone at Lucasfilm is optimistic about the latter's odds of success.
More than a decade after Lucas stepped away from Lucasfilm, his storytelling ideas remain embedded in the franchise’s DNA. The upcoming series suggests that, even in the Disney era, the galaxy far, far away still carries echoes of its original creator’s vision.
Are you excited for Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord?
