What The Cast Of Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord Looks Like In Real Life

Break out the blue milk! it's time to celebrate the latest entry in Disney's "Star Wars" canon with "Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord," releasing in April 2026 after blowing fans away with a trailer so good it had fans raving. The series follows the rise of former Sith Lord Darth Maul's crime syndicate between the time of his apparent death in "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace" and his final duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi in "Star Wars Rebels." Chronologically, the events of the new series fall early in the Imperial era, after the events of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars." And if some of the voice actors in this latest "Star Wars" animated series seem familiar, it's probably because they are — starting with the show's central character.

Darth Maul, or Maul as he's known in the post-Darth era of his complicated story, is one of the most fascinating figures in the "Star Wars" universe. After rocking "The Phantom Menace" as the arguably most metal-looking "Star Wars" character to date, Maul would pick up a cult fan following, thanks in large part to the outstanding performance of "The Clone Wars" actor Sam Witwer, who voiced the Sith baddy.

In addition to Witwer's reprisal of his iconic role as he returns in "Maul — Shadow Lord," the series is packed full of fantastic voice actors. From Jedi master to Padawan, from criminal to droid, here's what the cast behind the colorful characters in "Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord" look like in real life.

Sam Witwer's return to "Star Wars" as Maul is a great moment for the fandom. Part of what makes him so good in the role is his own lifelong relationship to the "Star Wars" franchise. A fan from childhood of not just the films but the comic books as well, Witwer told Keloland in a 2023 interview, "I've been a Star Wars nut since I was kid ... For a Star Wars fan like me, it's crazy. .. I mean I've been doing this with Lucasfilm for 14 or 15 years ... and it's still quite a thrill." And like any true fan, he takes the lore seriously — so seriously that he's prone to going down fandom rabbit holes mid-production.

For his role in the new series (which Witwer assures fans can be watched in isolation for viewers who aren't up-to-date on the franchise), the voice actor shot some scenes on film to get animators reference footage for his facial expressions. Witwer first played Maul in the 2012 series "The Clone Wars," later reprising the role in a number of projects including "Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out" and "Star Wars Rebels." The actor has also voice acted in a handful of other "Star Wars" projects, including the memorable Galen Marek in "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed."

Besides his work on "Star Wars," Witwer's acting resume has a long list of sci-fi and genre credits. Before his first major role as Crashdown in "Battlestar Galactica," Witwer appeared on "Star Trek: Enterprise," "Angel," and "Dark Angel," as well as a handful of procedurals like "JAG" and "NCIS." He also performed in the "Star Trek" fan project "Star Trek: New Voyages" and played Captain James T. Kirk on the Roddenberry Archive project "765874 — Unification."

Devon Izara (Gideon Adlon), a Jedi Padawan on the run with her master in the post-Order 66 era, is a new character for "Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord." A blue lightsaber-wielding teen Twi'lek on the run with her master, Eeko-Dio Daki, in fear of the empire, Devon is a fierce warrior hiding on Janix. But voice actor Gideon Adlon is not new to the "Star Wars" franchise. She performed as Pak Relda in the Disney+ children's animated series "Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures" in 2024. And she's been loving her role as Devon. Adlon told StarWars.com, "Because of the things I've been through as a young girl, when I was a teenager, and as a woman, she came very easy to me. I feel like she's like my sister. We're very much a part of each other."

If Adlon seems like a voice acting natural, it's in the blood: She's the daughter of Pamela Adlon, who won a 2002 Primetime Emmy Award for voicing Bobby Hill on "King of the Hill." Gideon Adlon got her TV start in 2011, appearing alongside her mom in the FX series "Louie." She also had minor roles in the series "Better Things," "Criminal Minds," "Girl Meets World," "American Crime," and the LGBTQ-rights docudrama miniseries "When We Rise" before getting cast in her first major role as Becca Gelb in the Netflix YA series "The Society" in 2019.

She took her first voice role the next year in "Solar Opposites," and Adlon has been voice acting steadily since then. She won major roles on "Pacific Rim: The Black," "Battle Kitty," "Slippin' Jimmy," and "Terminator Zero." Adlon also co-starred in "The Thing About Pam" and plays a recurring role on the paranormal sit-com "Ghosts."

Brander Lawson (Wagner Moura) will be familiar to fans who picked up the "Shadow of Maul" comic book series released in March 2026. Lawson is a mustachioed local cop investigating the criminal underground at work on Janix, with his trusty droid partner Two-Boots (Richard Ayoade) at his side. Moura, a Brazilian actor and filmmaker, won a 2026 Golden Globe Award for best performance in a drama courtesy of his outstanding turn in "The Secret Agent," which deals with the 1977 Brazilian military dictatorship.

After getting his start in acting as a teenager in the mid-1990s, Moura spent years working in Brazilian film and television. He took his first Hollywood role in the 2013 sci-fi film "Elysium," starring alongside Hollywood heavyweights Jodie Foster and Matt Damon. In 2015, he landed the role of Pablo Escobar in the series "Narcos" and "Narcos: Mexico," a performance that earned Moura widespread critical acclaim as well as his first Golden Globe nomination.

He went on to play Dan Velasquez in the Elisabeth Moss-starring "Shining Girls," Death in "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish," and Joel in "Civil War." Moura also played one of the John Smiths in the Prime "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" series adaptation, starred in the Apple+ series "Dope Thief," and is currently circling a new project with Panos Cosmatos, director of the trippy thriller-horror "Mandy."

Finally bringing a little sartorial class to the droid scene is Brander Lawson's loyal partner Two-Boots, short for 2BOT — recognizable for his sharp-looking pair of boots. Two-Boots is played by British comedian Richard Ayoade, best-known for his BAFTA-winning performance as the deeply nerdy and socially awkward Maurice Moss in "The IT Crowd."

Ayoade got his start in comedy stage writing and acting with horror-comedy shows like "Garth Marenghi's Darkplace." He collaborated with Matt Berry of "What We Do in the Shadows Fame" in 2004 to create the religious parody musical "AD/BC: A Rock Opera." 

He appeared in the radio show "The Boosh" before it was eventually developed into the TV series "The Mighty Boosh," but, due to contract obligations, only appeared in the pilot episode before taking a break. He would return to the show in time for its third series. In 2006, he caught a huge break as Maurice for "The IT Crowd," which also starred Irish comedian Chris 'O Dowd and Matt Berry. Ayoade has also directed a long list of music videos for bands including the Arctic Monkeys, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Radiohead, and The Breeders, among others.

Ayoade's voice acting credit list is fairly long. He played Mr. Pickles in the 2014 stop motion animation film "The Boxtrolls," was Edgar in the adult animation series "Full English," Templeton in "Strange Hill High," and Gordy in "Disenchantment." Ayoade's voice acting credits also include voicing Duffy on "Rugrats," Sammy Suckerfish on "Spongebob Squarepants," and Tyrannis on "Krapopolis," among others. He also provides voice and motion capture on the 2026 video game "Fable."

After surviving the Imperial Jedi purge under Order 66, Jedi Master Eeko-Dio-Daki and his Padawan Devon Izara remain on the run on Janix. Daki is voiced by acting legend Dennis Haysbert, a face TV viewers may recognize for the actor's once-ubiquitous appearance as the Allstate spokesman. Haysbert has been acting regularly since the late 1970s, with smaller roles through on shows like "Laverne & Shirley," "Dallas," "Growing Pains," "Magnum, P.I.," "Night Court," and "The Incredible Hulk." He also appeared in a few movies, with roles like that of Pedro Cerrano in "Major League" and its sequels. He also played Kenneth on "Waiting to Exhale."

In 2001, Haysbert was cast as Senator (and eventual President) David Palmer on "24." His performance would see the actor nominated for three NAACP Image Award nominations over the show's run. Haysbert's strong, authoritative presence would later land him the role of Sergeant Major Jonas Blane in "The Unit," resulting in three more NAACP Image Award noms. From there, he would be efficiently typecast in a number of police and detective-type roles on shows like "Blue Bloods," "The Grinder," and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine." Haysbert's presence is so sturdy it led him to be cast as God on the supernatural crime procedural "Lucifer."

Haysbert has also found time to work in a few voice acting roles on "The Boondocks," "Justice League," "Static Shock," "The New Batman Adventures," and "Superman: The Animated Series," among others. He also narrates "Call of Duty: Finest Hour."

Like Brander Lawson and Two-Boots, Looti Vario (Chris Diamantopoulos) appears in the "Maul — Shadow Lord" prequel comic series "Shadow of Maul." A crime boss on Janix, Vario uses a mechanical armor suit to make up for his small stature as a reptilian Aleena.

Aside from his voice acting, the Canadian Diamantopoulos, who voices Vario, has played minor gigs on a number of prime-time TV shows including "Law & Order," "Nip/Tuck," "Boston Legal," "The Sopranos," and "Hannibal." But he's also had plenty of leading and supporting roles. He played Rodney on USA's "The Starter Wife," Presidential Chief of Staff Rob Weiss on "24," and Russ Hanneman on "Silicon Valley." He's also a Broadway actor, with performances in "The Full Monty," "Les Misérables," and "Waitress."

Diamantopoulos' major voice acting credits include that of Mickey Mouse on the Disney series "Mickey Mouse," Master Eon and Chompy Mage on "Skylanders Academy," and Ched on "Centaurworld." He has also voiced characters on "Family Guy," "Batman Unlimited," "BoJack Horseman," "DuckTales," and "The Bad Guys: The Series," just to name a few. The video game "Star Wars Jedi Survivor," in which he voices the bartender droid MXNK-6 ("Monk"), makes Diamantopoulous a returning "Star Wars" player.

The child of police detective Brander Lawson, Rylee Lawson is voiced by Charlie Bushnell, an actor best known for playing the antiheroic (and mostly downright villainous) Luke Castellan on the Disney+ "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series. Luke is a tough kid; a fighter with the blood of Hermes behind him. 

Equally tough and a lot nicer, Bushnell took his first acting gig at 14-years-old when he was cast on the series "The Diary of a Future President." In this series, Bushnell plays Elena Cañero-Reed's (Tess Romero) older brother Bobby, an LGBTQ+ teen in the process of coming out.

In 2024, Bushnell was cast in Mike Judge's Peacock series "In the Know," a stop-motion adult animated political comedy show about the third most popular radio program at an NPR studio. Bushnell starred here alongside Zach Woods, a comedian who rose to prominence for his portrayal of the awkward Gabe on "The Office." It's all looking up for Bushnell from here.

Another character who already has an established backstory in the "Star Wars" canon is Rook Kast, voiced by Vanessa Marshall in two 2020 episodes of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" and in the new "Maul" series. The character, who first appears in the canon comic book "Darth Maul — Son of Dathomir #1," is a fierce Mandalorian who was involved with Maul and the Shadow Collective during the Clone Wars.

Marshall has a handful of minor live-action credits to her name across "Law & Order," "Scrubs," "The Bold & The Beautiful," and "Jane the Virgin." But she has curated an outstanding career as a voice actor.

Marshall's video game credits are impressive, including several "Star Wars" games. She plays Jan Ors on "Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast." More importantly, she also voices franchise fave Hera Syndulla in multiple animated series and video games, including "Star Wars Rebels," "Star Wars: Squadrons," "Star Wars Forces of Destiny," and "Star Wars: The Bad Batch." The actor also plays an elder on "Tales of the Jedi."

David W. Collins voices Spybot on "Maul — Shadow Lord," although he is mostly known for his award-winning sound design. Collins actually got his start designing for "Escape from Monkey Island" and "Star Wars: Demolition" in 2000. Over the next few years, Collins would produce sound design for LucasArts on several "Star Wars" games including "Star Wars: Starfighter," "Star Wars: Obi-Wan," "Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter," "Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds — Clone Campaigns," "Star Wars: Bounty Hunter," and many more.

Collins has also done the sound mixing and design for several animated and live action "Star Wars" series including "Star Wars: Resistance," "The Book of Boba Fett," "The Mandalorian," and "Star Wars: The Bad Batch." 

That's in addition to serving as supervising sound editor for the upcoming "Maul — Shadow Lord." His work on "The Book of Boba Fett" and "The Mandalorian" earned Collins two Primetime Emmy nominations. Through his work on "Star Wars" and other productions, Collins has voiced quite a few characters, adding up to dozens of acting credits through the years.

Jedi-hunter-turned-mercenary Marrok (A.J. LoCascio) has been present in the "Star Wars" canon for a while now, appearing both in the animated anthology series "Star Wars: Tales of the Empire" and "Star Wars: Ahsoka" (where Marrok was played in live action by actor Paul Darnell). A.J. LoCascio has an established presence in the voice acting world, with a long list of characters both for animated series and video games.

LoCascio's "Star Wars" credits include Han Solo in "Star Wars Forces of Destiny," "Lego Star Wars: Terrifying Tales," "The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special," and the video game "Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga." He also played a Stormtrooper in "Lego Star Wars: All Stars," Colby on "Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld," and a pilot in the video game "Star Wars: Squadrons."

Besides his work on "Star Wars," the voice actor's long list of video credits include playing Marty McFly for several "Back to the Future" games. He also voiced characters for "God of War Ragnarök" and "Jurassic World Evolution." His animated TV series roles include playing Gizmo on the animated "Gremlins" series, "Dawn of the Croods," and "Voltron: Legendary Defender," among others.

Playing Maul's inked-up criminal associate Icarus is legendary voice actor Steve Blum. Blum's impressive list of acting credits includes many "Star Wars" entries through the years. He played several characters in "Star Wars: Rebels," including Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios (who's set to return in "The Mandalorian and Grogu") and Alton Kastle. 

He also voiced multiple characters in "Star Wars: Resistance," "Star Wars: Visions," "Star Wars: The Bad Batch," and "Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld." He provided voice talent for the "Star Wars" video games "Star Wars: Rebellion," "Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance," "Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast," "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic," "Star Wars: Empire at War," and more.

Blum is a well-known voice actor and industry workhorse, voicing English dubs for many popular anime including "Digimon Frontier," "Naruto," "Sword Art Online: Alicization," and "Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045." It may be easier to list what projects Blum hasn't been part of. Fans also know and love him as the English voice of Spike in "Cowboy Bebop."