Behind-the-Scenes of MAUL: SHADOW LORD with the Creators
At a recent Maul: Shadow Lord roundtable, Sam Witwer had high praise for the creative team behind the series. Let’s let him introduce this next creator roundtable:
Sam Witwer: “It’s a really collaborative group, and everyone has such great ideas and so much energy. Brad Rau has tremendous vision for this, Matt Michnovetz has so much energy and so many twists and turns built into the plot, and Athena Portillo is a gunslinger of a producer. We get to do this all for Dave Filoni, who created the show and has the overall vision, and we’re lucky enough to execute on it. It’s been really, really fun.”
Now, let’s hear from executive producers Athena Yvette Portillo and Matt Michnovetz, along with supervising director Brad Rau, as they share how Maul: Shadow Lord came to life.
From its painterly animation style to its morally complex storytelling, Shadow Lord represents a major evolution for Lucasfilm Animation—and one of its most ambitious productions to date.
Brad Rau: “This is the hardest show I’ve ever worked on—and the best. The story is more nuanced, the action is bigger, and the serialized format meant we had to keep [earlier] episodes open and constantly refine them.”
We were struck most by this series’ visual style which sometimes looks like paint on canvas. Turns out some of it was physically painted on! Inspired by artists like Jeremy Mann and films such as Blade Runner, the team pushed for a more textured, cinematic feel.
Brad Rau: “Dave [Filoni] told us early on – he wanted to see the hand of the artist in frame. So we said, ‘Okay, Dave, let’s figure this out.’ It’s fascinating—our director of lighting, Joel Aron, the mad wizard that he is, would literally paint on glass, photograph those images, and incorporate them into the flesh tones and into the effects. So we followed Dave’s directive, and it helped us develop the style.”
Athena Portillo: “We upgraded about 20 to 30 percent of what we were doing—animation rigs, body mechanics, facial performance, even going back to old-school techniques like miniatures and oil-on-canvas matte paintings. We wanted a more cinematic sophistication.”
Even facial animation received a major upgrade – Sam Witwer recorded his lines at Lucasfilm so his performance could be captured from all angles, allowing animators to translate his subtle nuances to the final animation. The show takes place almost entirely on Janix – a planet that has largely escaped the attention of the Empire. It has it’s own local law enforcement and is democratically self-governed. The planet happens to be in a convenient location for crime syndicates and gangsters to move their wares. The new setting was designed to feel distinct from familiar Star Wars cityscapes. Brad Rau: “We were inspired by Jeremy Mann and Blade Runner. We wanted a painterly, pulpy look—something that didn’t feel like Coruscant. Janix needed to feel like its own character, especially as we explore different levels of the city.”
The result is a vibrant, gritty city filled with visual depth and opportunities for dynamic action sequences. This layered, living environment evolves as the story descends deeper into its underworld. At its core, Star Wars has always been about hope; but centering a story on Darth Maul, a character so deeply rooted in the dark side, presents a unique challenge. How do you plant that seed of hope in someone driven by revenge? Athena Portillo: “We always talk about bringing hope into the story, even with a character like Maul. You don’t empathize with his revenge—you empathize with what he’s lost. And the hope shines brighter against that darkness.” That hope comes through the characters surrounding him, those who bring light into an otherwise dark story. Devon Izara, a former Jedi Padawan, is influenced by her Master Eeko-Dio Daki, who offers a grounding, compassionate presence. Meanwhile, the series introduces local law enforcement on Janix, including Captain Brander Lawson and his police droid partner, Two-Boots. These characters are anchors of hope for those who may not connect with Maul’s relentless pursuit of revenge. Brad Rau: “They’re the good guys. They’re trying to fight against the evil. How we wrote that, how we filmed that, and even how the music supports it—that was something we talked about constantly.” Despite the technical challenges, one thing came through loud and clear: this series is fueled by passion and collaboration. Matt Michnovetz: “Is there anything we’ve dreamed up that we couldn’t do? The answer is no, because Athena is incredible.” Athena Portillo: “It takes a village. It takes the whole team… we’ve worked with a lot of the same people over the last 20 years. It’s an internal family. The more you do it together, the more you understand the flow—you speak each other’s language. Everything becomes like an assembly line, and we just love doing what we’re doing. We love it.” With a seasoned team that has worked together for decades, Maul: Shadow Lord stands as a testament to how far Star Wars animation has come—and how much further it can go. Watch on Disney+ beginning April 6. This Star Wars fan site roundtable was recorded on March 31, 2026 and brought together our friends from across the fandom, including Fangirls Going Rogue, Father Son Galaxy, Full of Sith, SkyTalkers, Skywalking Through Neverland (us), Ion Cannon Podcast, Fantha Tracks, Jedi News, and Endor Express—each contributing thoughtful questions and unique perspectives to the conversation. Thank you to Disney and Lucasfilm for providing this press day.
Creating the Planet Janix
Finding Hope in a Story About a Villain
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