Obi-Wan Kenobi director Deborah Chow discussed why Darth Vader was chosen over Maul in the new series.
Ever since the Obi-Wan Kenobi project was announced, many fans have expressed a desire to see the former Jedi master have another duel against Maul in live-action form. Ultimately, the two do end up facing off in an incredible scene from the animated series Star Wars Rebels, but that’s the extent of their canonical relationship. The upcoming series is bringing back Darth Vader, leading to a highly-anticipated rematch after the duel in Mustafar in Revenge of the Sith, but fans shouldn’t expect to see the return of Maul by any means.
In an interview promoting Obi-Wan Kenobi, the series’ director Deborah Chow shared why choosing Darth Vader to make an antagonistic appearance rather than Maul was the right way to go. She tells Total Film:
“With a lot of the legacy aspects, the decision to bring Vader into it was not made lightly. We’re 10 years after Revenge Of The Sith. Where is Obi-Wan’s starting place? What has been important to him in his life?
Anakin and Vader are a huge and very profound part of his life. We ended up feeling that he made sense in telling this story. And Vader casts such a dark shadow in this, that to have Maul as well, it might be a little bit much.”
Having both Darth Vader and Maul in Obi-Wan Kenobi could be overkill.
Understandably, some fans have expressed hopes to see more of Maul in live-action, especially after a cryptic tease seen in Solo: A Star Wars Story, which has since been unresolved. Although he won’t be making an appearance in Obi-Wan Kenobi, perhaps its for the best to keep him separate from the action, especially when Darth Vader is involved. After all, being in the presence of one fo the most iconic villains in cinematic history could easily steal away some thunder.
Here is the synopsis for the upcoming new series:
During the reign of the Galactic Empire, former Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi embarks on a crucial mission. Kenobi must confront allies turned enemies and face the wrath of the Empire.
Directed by Deborah Chow from Joby Harold’s scripts, the series stars Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Moses Ingram, Joel Edgerton, Bonnie Piesse, Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell, and Benny Safdie. The series will also see the return of legendary Star Wars composer John Williams, who scored a theme.
Obi-Wan Kenobi will premiere May 27, 2022 on Disney Plus with two episodes. Stay tuned for all the latest news on the upcoming series as well as the future of Darth Vader and Maul in the Star Wars franchise, and subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more original video content.
Source: Total Film (via SFF Gazette)