Darth Maul was one of the greatest additions of the Prequel series to the Star Wars canon, becoming one of the most beloved Sith characters of the Skywalker saga behind Darth Vader and right above Asajj Ventress. A lot of thought went into the role of Maul, who was killed off in the film, but had one of the greatest arcs in Star Wars history through his appearances in The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels.
Nick Gillard, the stunt coordinator for the Prequel trilogy, revealed what was the original casting for Maul, and why it was changed. Maul had a very strong impact on audiences in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, and a huge part of it was Ray Park’s performance.
Nick Gillard revealed what was the original brief for Darth Maul
Speaking with Star Wars Theory, Nick Gillard was able to talk about a lot of things that went on behind the scenes for the Prequel series. The stunt coordinator was the initial choice for Darth Maul, but the crew decided to go with someone else for one reason and one reason alone. He revealed:
We had to find a Darth Maul. First, they wanted me to play Darth Maul, the brief was “He should look like a heroin addict”. You look perfect. I said, I would be too busy, so we found Ray.
The stuntman, while perfect for the role, would have had other responsibilities on and outside of the set, which would have hampered his performance. Ray Park would eventually essay the role of the character, to much fanfare and appreciation from fans.
Darth Maul went from a one-and-done character to one of the greatest Sith antagonists Star Wars has seen
Darth Maul had a very interesting concept, and fans were disappointed that the character would not get more screen time after being murdered by Obi-Wan. However, Dave Filoni‘s work with Star Wars was able to breathe new life into the character and gave him one of the best arcs in the story.
Maul’s encounter with Obi-Wan was just the beginning of the long and twisted path that he was on, that would take from the Jedi Master the people he loved the most, only for him to give him a swift and noble death in the sands of Tatooine, where no one would know he is buried.
The character had a very emotionally charged story to tell, being a victim of Palapatine’s manipulation himself, a narrative that unfolded beautifully over the course of Star Wars: Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels. These shows not only fleshed out Maul’s backstory, but also gave him characters like Savage Opress to work with. His fight with Pre-Vizla, and with Ahsoka Tano, remain highlights for a lot of fans to this day.
