Actor Ray Park debuted as the menacing Sith apprentice Darth Maul in the first installment of the Star Wars prequel trilogy. However, Maul meets his untimely demise at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi at the end of The Phantom Menace. Given Maul’s interesting look and brief screen time, fans have clamored to see more of the character in the films.
During an interview, Park admitted to being eager for a return to the galaxy far, far away. The primary reason for Park’s reinvigorated interest in reprising the role of Darth Maul was due to the new lightsaber design of Kylo Ren, which debuted in The Force Awakens. Here is what Park had to say about Kylo Ren’s lightsaber design and his desire to return to Star Wars.
Kylo Ren’s Lightsaber Design Made Darth Maul Actor Ray Park Desperate For Star Wars Return
The Phantom Menace features actor Ray Park in the role of Darth Maul, an apprentice of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. In the film, Maul meets his demise after he is cut in half and falls down a ledge during a lightsaber duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi, played by Ewan McGregor. Nonetheless, Maul’s unique look and use of a double-sided lightsaber became fan-favorite elements.
During a 2015 appearance at the Cardiff Film and Comic Con, Park spoke about the lightsaber design for Kylo Ren in The Force Awakens, which features a hilt that proved to be quite controversial among fans who debated whether such a design was practical.
However, Park seemed to be on board with the medieval sword-like design of the lightsaber.
[The lightsaber’s] different and it’s traditional, you know? It’s got that traditional vibe – like, old school. I’m excited about it. I was jazzed to see it and I was like ‘I want to be part of this!’
Park made the above statement (via ScreenJolt), praising the new design of a lightsaber that was a deviation from the slick-looking ones used in the original trilogy and slightly more modified ones from the prequels era. Moreover, Park’s excitement about the franchise was also evident during the conversation, as the lightsaber design made him desperate for a return to Star Wars.
Ray Park Almost Returned to Star Wars For Obi-Wan Kenobi
While Park’s Darth Maul seemingly met his demise at the end of The Phantom Menace, the character was later expanded upon in spin-off media, with actor Sam Witwer voicing the character for the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Park eventually got to return to the franchise, providing motion capture for Darth Maul in projects such as The Clone Wars and Solo: A Star Wars Story. However, Park was poised to take on a larger role in the franchise as he was expected to reprise the role of Darth Maul in Ewan McGregor-led Obi-Wan Kenobi miniseries for Disney+.
According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, Park was in preparation to reprise the role of Maul and was expected to feature in the series since the character was confirmed to be alive during its timeline. However, the publication noted that the series underwent a drastic creative overhaul with several aspects of its narrative being changed. While Park did not film new footage for the series, Maul appears in it through archive footage.
Obi-Wan Kenobi and other Star Wars projects are streaming on Disney+.
