Star Wars fans have a lot to look forward to with the upcoming animated series announced at Star Wars Celebration Japan. In an exclusive interview with IGN, Athena Portillo, Vice President of Animation at Lucasfilm, shared insights into two highly anticipated projects: "Tales of the Underworld" and "Maul: Shadow Lord."
Portillo expressed her enthusiasm for collaborating with Sam Witwer, the voice behind Darth Maul, on "Maul: Shadow Lord." She emphasized Witwer's significant role in shaping the character's depth and lore. "Sam was involved a lot with the character depth and the lore, along with our head writer and supervising director," she told IGN. "He's involved with the character depth of Maul because both him and [Lucasfilm CCO Dave] Filoni created the character together in animation. He gets to read the scripts, watch the whip reels, and the pool color, and he provides input."
This series marks a deeper exploration into the enduring villain Darth Maul. Portillo humorously compared Maul to iconic horror figures like Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees, noting, "Like you keep killing them, but they keep coming back. There is that threat that's there, right? I mean, it's Star Wars, right? So Darth Maul has passed away so many times, but he does keep coming back. ...We are diving into Maul’s history and we get to jump into that in the stories."
How Darth Maul Went From Supporting Villain to Star Wars Icon
View 14 Images
Portillo highlighted the advancements in Lucasfilm Animation's production techniques, which have significantly enhanced the quality of their work. She praised the improvements in animation, lighting, effects, matte paintings, lighting concepts, and assets. "When Filoni kicked off the Maul show, which was after Covid, people were getting back into the swing of coming back to work, but he said, ‘You all need to pull yourself out of complacency, you all need to pull yourself out of your comfort level. Being uncomfortable is a good feeling, and it leads you to greater things. So, create something that is an upgrade of what we're used to doing,’ both in the animation style such as the body mechanics, facial animation, we updated all of our body rigs, and then all the lighting, everything," she explained. "When Filoni watched one of our episodes last week, his comment was, ‘Wow, you guys, you are actually creating cinema’. He was proud of what Lucasfilm Animation has achieved with this show."
Portillo also mentioned that "Maul: Shadow Lord" represents a step up from previous projects like "The Bad Batch" and "Tales of the Underworld." The latter, set to release on Disney+ on May 4, 2025, will focus on Asajj Ventress and Cad Bane, each receiving three episodes. Ventress' story will explore her resurrection by Mother Talzin and her journey with a young boy, forming a narrative about two Jedi on the run and a developing relationship.
Portillo confirmed that "Tales of the Underworld" continues from the storyline in the "Dark Disciple" novel, particularly focusing on the romantic connection between Ventress and Quinlan Vos. "Yeah. My favorite part of that is the whole Quinlan Vos and Ventress connection. When the fans saw that, and when he said, ‘I will always love you,’ it blew everyone away," she shared. "I think fans want to see that, you know, especially since Jedi are not supposed to get involved, but there's always that love story. There was the Obi-Wan Kenobi and Satine story, and obviously Padme and Anakin, and now Ventress and Quinlan Vos. I love those types of stories."
Ventress' journey will also delve into her reflection on her past and her choices moving forward. "Sometimes after they've gone through a lot, they start to rethink their path, and which way they want to go. Some choose a path of exile in a way, where they don't want to be a part of what their history has been. And then others turn to the dark side, as we've seen," Portillo explained. "So, with her story, it's going to be more of, you know, let's just say sometimes people come into your life for a reason to make you a better person, and the character that she meets in this first short is a good balance."
Both "Tales of the Underworld" and "Maul: Shadow Lord" promise to enrich the Star Wars universe. While "Tales of the Underworld" is set to premiere on Disney+ on May 4, 2025, fans are eagerly awaiting further details on the release of "Maul: Shadow Lord" in 2026.
