Skywalking Through Neverland: Keeping the Star Wars Magic Alive

552: Inside MAUL: SHADOW LORD with Sam Witwer & the Creative Team

·48 min·4 clips

Sam Witwer explains how he helps keep Maul authentic after voicing him for 15 years.

Episode 552 of Skywalking Through Neverland features a behind-the-scenes press junket for the new Star Wars animated series Maul: Shadow Lord, premiering April 6 on Disney+. Hosts Richard and Sarah Woloski introduce the episode as a spoiler-free look at the 10-episode series, which follows Maul a year after the Clone Wars as he seeks to rebuild his criminal empire on the untouched planet Janix. The first part includes roundtable interviews with voice actors Sam Witwer, who has voiced Maul for 15 years, and newcomer Gideon Adlon, who plays the Jedi Padawan Devon. Witwer discusses his producing role in ensuring Maul's authenticity and how the character evolves in this series, while Adlon shares her surprise at auditioning for Star Wars after initially thinking it was for a 1920s mafia show. The hosts then transition to interviews with executive producers Athena Yvette Portillo, Matt Michniewicz, and Brad Rau, who detail the show's visual style inspired by artists like Jeremy Mann and films like Blade Runner, aiming for a painterly, oil-on-canvas aesthetic. They explain technical upgrades in animation, such as improved body mechanics and facial performances, with Witwer providing video reference for Maul's expressions. The producers also address the challenge of centering a villain like Maul while maintaining hope through contrasting characters like Devon and Captain Brander Lawson. Throughout, the episode emphasizes that no prior Star Wars knowledge is needed to enjoy the series, and it concludes with promotional segments for sponsors and the hosts' books and Patreon.

As heard by us

Sam Witwer makes Maul's lead role a question of perspective, blame, and responsibility.

Maul taking the lead gives this Skywalking Through Neverland episode a clean critical hook: how does a story center such a selfish figure without asking the audience to endorse him?

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You get a spoiler-free look at Maul stepping into his own spotlight, with Sam Witwer unpacking how Star Wars morality gets harder when a selfish character becomes the protagonist.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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