Season 1 of Star Wars’ brand-new TV show Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, has just concluded with a two-episode finale on May 4, and within those episodes was a thrilling cameo that many fans were hoping to see. As the newest addition to Star Wars movies and TV shows, Maul – Shadow Lord had plenty of pressure on it to do well, and it seems to have largely stuck the landing. Not only is Shadow Lord season 2 already confirmed, but also, the show was largely one that even the prickly Star Wars fanbase was excited about.
Part of that success and positive reception was almost certainly tied to the fact that, although the show brought back well-known characters (the titular lead chief among them), it was far from a fan service-oriented project. Instead, the story felt new and innovative, and new characters like Devon were integrated seamlessly. There was perhaps only one real fan service cameo, but it was a thrilling and generally well-received one. Unfortunately, this very same cameo also reinforces that Star Wars fans shouldn’t hold their breath for one highly requested solo movie.
In the final two episodes of Maul – Shadow Lord season 1, fan-favorite villain Darth Vader had yet another on-screen return. Although this was highly anticipated and therefore wasn’t a complete shock, it was still absolutely thrilling when his chilling and iconic breath could be heard from the darkness. From there, Vader proved why he is almost universally loved as a villain, as he engaged in a thrilling lightsaber battle with Maul, Devon, and Devon’s Jedi Master, Eeko-Dio Daki.
Maul – Shadow Lord also made the decision not to give Vader any lines, instead allowing him to be an intimidating, silent, cold-blooded killer—just as Vader ought to be. In fact, this is precisely what audiences have come to expect from Darth Vader cameos over the years, and while there have been some deviations (Vader’s quip about Krennic not choking on his aspirations in Rogue One: A Star Wars story being one that proved particularly unpopular), this has mostly been the case.
Yet, therein lies the issue with fans ever getting a solo Vader movie or even a solo Vader TV show, which is something that many fans have essentially begged for and are hopeful could still be a possibility in the future, particularly with Hayden Christensen’s return to the franchise in both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka.
The trouble with a possible Vader movie or show is the risky nature of such a project. There are undoubtedly many in the fanbase who would celebrate such an announcement, but there is likely an equal number of fans, if not even more, who would not want to see this character revisited in such great detail. As disappointing as it is, given that it would be amazing to have a Vader-specific project and see Christensen reprise his role as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader once again, this character arguably works best in cameos.
Vader has already proven to be a challenging character to bring back, even in smaller doses. In fact, that really began as early as Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, as there was backlash even to the idea of him being introduced as a sweet, innocent little kid, and Christensen’s depiction of him in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith was likewise heavily criticized.
Even Vader’s appearances in shows like Obi-Wan Kenobi have proven divisive at the least, and there have already been mixed responses to the news that Christensen will return as Anakin in Ahsoka season 2. In light of that history, it’s not surprising that Star Wars would be hesitant to introduce a full-fledged Vader project, even if that would no doubt be a lucrative movie or show.
While this may seem like just one perspective of many, it’s notable that the current Co-President of Lucasfilm, Dave Filoni, seems to share that opinion. Filoni’s recent comments about Vader suggest, among other things, a great deal of hesitancy to significantly alter or even develop this character more on screen.
Based on that context, despite the fanfare in response to Vader’s cameo in Maul – Shadow Lord, it feels safest to assume that Star Wars will never take that leap and create a solo Vader show or movie, even if there are plenty of fans who would be absolutely delighted by that news.
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