By George & Josh Bate
Our first official look at Maul – Shadow Lord debuted today, greeting fans to the gritty criminal underworld everyone’s favorite Sith Lord-turned-Crime Lord hopes to dominate. And while the trailer certainly left us excited for the upcoming Star Wars animated series, the behind-the-scenes creative team has us particularly hopeful that a real treat for Star Wars fans awaits.
Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord is created by Dave Filoni, based on Star Wars and characters created by George Lucas. The series is developed by Dave Filoni and Matt Michnovetz. Brad Rau serves as supervising director. The executive producers include Dave Filoni, Athena Yvette Portillo, Matt Michnovetz, Brad Rau, Carrie Beck, and Josh Rimes. Alex Spotswood is the co-executive producer. Let’s break down why these names are so important….
Matt Michnovetz
Matt Michnovetz may not be a household name to Star Wars fans, but he certainly should be. His work in the world of Star Wars dates back 18 years to the canceled video game Star Wars: 1313, which, like Maul – Shadow Lord, explored the grimy criminal underbelly of a galaxy far, far away. Anyone who has seen concept art of 1313 or read about the game will know that it looked and sounded incredible (we’re still sad it never came to fruition). But the prospect of Michnovetz’s ideas from 1313 being actualized in Maul – Shadow Lord has us very curious.
Michnovetz’s work in the Star Wars galaxy continued with his work on The Clone Wars. In addition to serving as head writer of Seasons 6 and 7, Michnovetz wrote the acclaimed Umbara arc, which introduced audiences to one of Star Wars‘ most detestable characters – Pong Krell. He also wrote the four-episode arc for Season 7 that gave Clone Force 99 (aka The Bad Batch) their first appearance. If that wasn’t enough, Michnovetz also wrote the scrapped arc involving Cad Bane and Boba Fett, in addition to the arc that was eventually adapted into the comic series Darth Maul – Son of Dathomir.
Beyond The Clone Wars, Michnovetz wrote 10 episoes of Star Wars Rebels and co-wrote the story for Jedi: Fallen Order.
As story editor and staff writer for The Bad Batch series, Michnovetz wrote a number of episodes, including “Kamino Lost” from Season 1.
More recently, Michnovetz wrote all 6 episodes of Tales of the Underworld.
Needless to say, Michnovetz is a Star Wars veteran at this point and has quietly masterminded some of the series’ most compelling stories in recent years. The fact that he is writing Maul – Shadow Lord should excite even the most pessimistic of Star Wars fans.
Brad Rau
Next up is Brad Rau, who serves as Executive Producer and Supervising Director of Maul – Shadow Lord. Rau also has a rich history in the world of Star Wars, having directed episodes of Rebels, Forces of Destiny, and Resistance. But it’s Rau’s work on The Bad Batch that should peak your anticipation for Maul – Shadow Lord.
Rau served as Supervising Director of The Bad Batch, a position that required him to oversee the aesthetic, shot composition, ‘camera’ movement, lighting, and more of every episode of the series. Matching its rich emotions and strong character work, The Bad Batch is a gorgeous show and took Star Wars animation to another level of quality. There are shots and sometimes entire scenes in The Bad Batch that look like they are straight out of a theatrically released Star Wars film, such is the cinematic quality of Rau’s directing.
In watching the trailer for Maul – Shadow Lord, Rau has seemingly carried over his artistic sensibilites from his time working on The Bad Batch. The neon-soaked colors of the Janix look gorgeous, while the details and nuances in the various characters’ facial designs are remarkable. Rau clearly has a keen eye for directing in the world of animation and Star Wars fans are lucky that he is spearheading Maul’s solo series.
Athena Yvette Portillo
If you attended the Lucasfilm Animation panel at Star Wars Celebration Japan 2025, you’ll know how much Dave Filoni values Athena Yvette Portillo. Like Michnovetz and Rau, Portillo may not be a household name to Star Wars fans like Filoni or Favreau are, but she certainly should be.
Portillo joined Lucasfilm 30 years ago as an intern in the Licensing division. She began her work as a freelance writer for Star Wars Insider, before becoming Product Development Coordinator for the Star Wars Special Editions and The Phantom Menace.
At the turn of the century, Portillo pivoted to ILM and eventually Tippett Studio, during which she gained expertise in visual effects. This work laid the foundation for her to join Lucasfilm Animation in 2006. Since then, Portillo has overseen most Star Wars animated projects, winning two Emmys for her work on The Clone Wars and accruing six Emmy nominations for her work on Rebels, The Bad Batch, and Resistance.
Portillo’s behind-the-scenes role on Maul – Shadow Lord doesn’t come as a surprise given her position as Vice President of Lucasfilm Animation, but we always get exciting knowing she is contributing to a Star Wars project. Recognized by The Hollywood Reporter as one of the “Women in Entertainment Power 100,” Portillo, at least in our eyes, has an amazing track record. Some of the best Star Wars stories have all time have been produced under guidance, so we know that Maul – Shadow Lord is in good hands under her watchful eye.
Sam Witwer
Let’s also not forget Sam Witwer in all of this. Witwer’s role in the show seems to go far beyond merely showing up to a recording booth and recording lines. Anyone who has seen Witwer’s interviews over the years, including a particularly insightful one with Katee Sackhoff on The Sackhoff Show earlier this year, will know that the Illinois native is not only a massive Star Wars – he understands a galaxy far, far away in a way few people do. Watch his talk with Sackhoff, for instance, and you will quickly realize that voicing Maul is far more than just a job for Witwer, as he has put considerable thought, time, and effort into crafting the nuances of the character.
Witwer’s remarkable dedication is perhaps best exemplifed by comments made by Executive Producer and VP of Lucasfilm Animation Athena Portillo today, which revealed that Witwer prepared for a Tea Ceremony scene in Maul – Shadow Lord by actually attending a real-life Tea Ceremony in Japan. Portillo commented that this dedication led to newfound “nuance” to Witwer’s work as Maul.
Supervising Director and Executive Producer Brad Rau also clearly recognizes what Witwer brings to the show above and beyond voicing the character. In an interview with StarWars.com, Rau commented on how Witwer took the time to teach actress Gideon Adlon (who voices Maul’s apprentice Devon in the show) about “the lore of Star Wars and what the character is all about.” Rau elaborated on Witwer’s creative involvement in the show stating, “We are having the best time working with Sam Witwer. He brings so much depth to the character of Maul and with his knowledge of Star Wars, he’s been a really awesome collaborator to keep Maul authentic for us.”