Solo: A Star Wars Story Writer Says That Phantom Menace Character May Return

Fans were prepared for Solo: A Star Wars Story to pay homage to the franchise’s past, as it promised to lead up to Han Solo’s introduction in A New Hope, but we certainly didn’t expect it to bring back a beloved character from the Prequel Trilogy. At the end of the film though, it’s revealed that the titular hero’s love interest, Qi’ra is actually working for Darth Maul, the Sith Lord last seen getting chopped in half in The Phantom Menace!

In a first for a Star Wars movie, Maul’s appearance here directly follows his resurrection in the Rebels animated series. If you’re not familiar with the show, you may be confused as to how the villain can be alive at this point in the timeline. And, what’s more, why he’d be secretly running a crime syndicate like the Crimson Dawn. However, this is all explained in Rebels, with the character getting some robot legs and making connections in the galaxy’s criminal underworld.

Echoing comments he’s made before, co-screenwriter Jonathan Kasdan explained to ComicBook.com that he was inspired to include Maul in Solo thanks to Rebels expanding and embellishing the character as he appeared in Episode I. Proving how much of a fan he is, Kasdan revealed that he also made sure that Maul’s appearance in the film would not clash with the villain’s storyline in the aforementioned show.

“I loved that they took him and went an interesting place with him in Rebels, and in Clone Wars, and just sort of to expand on the myth of that character, and the idea that he survived. Rebels set us in a timeframe where we were sort of in the clear, and they were allowed to sort of do what they wanted with the Shadow Collective, with the whole, you know, backstory that they were playing with, and his movement into crime that would leave us in a clear zone, so that, by the time this movie happened, it was gray where he was.”

The writer then went on to tease that he thinks Darth Maul could definitely return in a follow-up to Solo, as he believes there’s much more to do with the character.

“It opened it up for us, and certainly I think there’s room to go back and forth with that character and know more, because he’s a rich, rich opportunity.”

So, will Maul get the chance to come back in Solo 2? Well, Lucasfilm has certainly expressed interest in a sequel, with director Ron Howard saying it’s up to the fans to make sure that another movie happens. Given that Solo: A Star Wars Story isn’t performing as well at the box office as hoped, though, we wouldn’t say that a follow-up’s a sure thing at this point. Either way, we’ll definitely keep our fingers crossed, as we’d love to see more of Maul.