Sam Witwer Says Darth Maul Originally Had A Much Different Role In SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY

Sam Witwer Says Darth Maul Originally Had A Much Different Role In SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY

Sam Witwer has voiced Darth Maul in The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, and now reveals that the character originally had a much different role in Ron Howard's Solo: A Star Wars Story...

By JoshWilding - Apr 22, 2020 02:04 AM EST
Filed Under: Star Wars
Source: Star Wars Holocron

Solo: A Star Wars Story underwent a great deal of changes after director Ron Howard replaced original helmers Phil Lord and Chris Miller, and while the movie ultimately underperformed, the surprise appearance of Darth Maul left a lasting impact with moviegoers. 

Whether that's a plot thread Lucasfilm is planning to address remains to be seen, but during an interview with Star Wars Holocron, voice actor Sam Witwer indicated that Maul's original role in the spinoff movie might have been quite a bit different. The Star Wars Rebels and The Clone Wars actor also addressed replacing original Maul voiceover actor Peter Serafinowicz.

"There was stuff that had to happen once I got hired," Witwer explained. "There was a reshoot that had to happen because people like me and [Clone Wars and Rebels creator] Dave Filoni were letting them know there were a lot of details that weren’t consistent."

"I don’t want to say that what [Peter] Serafinowicz was doing was bad," he added, possibly indicating that The Phantom Menace star was originally re-hired as the villain. "It just didn’t sound recognizable as the character from The Phantom Menace nor the character from Clone Wars. It was a totally different thing. They needed people to recognize the voice, so there it is."

Witwer went on to say that, "[There were] a lot of things in this script where he growls, he does this, he does that," but when asked to elaborate on Maul's original role, he would only say that, "In 20 years, when I’m fully an old man and don’t care about anything, I will say things that will blow people’s minds and make national news and stuff. But no, I’m not that stupid yet."

It's possible that the team working on Solo: A Star Wars Story were unaware that Maul became a much calmer, more collected character following the events of The Phantom Menace, hence why reshoots took place to change how the iconic villain was portrayed in the film. 

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bkmeijer2
bkmeijer2 - 4/22/2020, 3:00 AM
I'm still hoping we're going to see more of Maul, the Crimson Dawn and the rest of the five syndicates. I just hope that Lucasfilm pays more attention to the lore, because this doesn't sound promosing
Deodorant
Deodorant - 4/22/2020, 4:18 AM
I still preferred Solo over TLJ and ROS.
Chewtoy
Chewtoy - 4/22/2020, 4:36 AM
So the Lord and Miller version was way off character?
CassianAndor
CassianAndor - 4/22/2020, 8:33 AM
@Chewtoy - I’d still rather see Lord and Miller’s original version. Even if it’s “wrong” I’m sure it’d still be a hell of a lot more interesting than the generic trash we got.
patgreyc
patgreyc - 4/22/2020, 9:46 AM
@BloopBlorp2 - Pass either way as Alden Ehrenreich in no way, shape or form managed to be a believable Han Solo. And that's after they hired him an acting coach.
manofillintent1
manofillintent1 - 4/22/2020, 5:43 AM
Shouldn’t have had any kind of role in solo, like really? Darth Maul had some ties to Han Solo too? Small f*ckin galaxy
Nightwing1015
Nightwing1015 - 4/22/2020, 5:58 AM
In 20 years, when I’m fully an old man and don’t care about anything, I will say things that will blow people’s minds and make national news and stuff

Can't wait lol
Dredd97
Dredd97 - 4/22/2020, 8:27 AM
Haha who cares? Darth Maul was a worthless character who died, and then had some convoluted way to be brought back because...he looked cool?
Baf
Baf - 4/22/2020, 8:50 AM
@Dredd97 - Tell that to Boba Fett
Dredd97
Dredd97 - 4/22/2020, 12:42 PM
@Baf - Haha I hate Boba Fett too
gymbeau2000
gymbeau2000 - 4/23/2020, 8:50 AM
@Dredd97 - And I hate you

LOL
Baf
Baf - 4/23/2020, 10:03 AM
@gymbeau2000 - Ha! I didn't mean that I hated him, only pointing out that people wanted to expand his character based only on his looks. And he died worthlessly. Just like Maul.
BIGBMH
BIGBMH - 4/22/2020, 9:27 AM
The fact that Dave and Sam needed to correct them is indicative with the problem of how these latest Star Wars films have been approached. You're making a movie that costs 100s of millions of dollars and you don't have the time to put a little effort into researching what has been done with a character you want to use?

No offense to Serafinowicz, but the guy delivered two lines as Maul almost 20 years earlier. Witwer poured passion and creativity into fleshing Maul out over multiple arcs.



Anyone who truly cared about the character and his story would've called Witwer first.
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