If George Lucas would’ve gotten his way, the Star Wars sequel trilogy — Episodes VII, VIII and IX — would have included Darth Maul as "the godfather of crime in the universe."
"As the Empire falls, he takes over," Lucas explained in a new book from the publishing company Taschen titled The Star Wars Archives: 1999-2005. According to Lucas, the Sith Lord Darth Talon from Dark Horse’s Star Wars: Legacy comic book was supposed to team up with Maul and wreak havoc alongside him in a Vader-like role. However, Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm changed all that.
Archives, which hits shelves on Dec. 13, also reveals other details about Lucas’ plans for the sequel trilogy before the Disney buyout, including a starring part for Carrie Fisher, who was supposed to lead the efforts against Maul as Princess Leia Organa. The reconstruction of the Republic would ultimately be the main focus, with Lucas describing how rebuilding would have been "harder than starting a rebellion or fighting a war."
Maul, played by actor Ray Park in The Phantom Menace, famously made his return to the Star Wars universe in the animated series The Clone Wars following his demise in Episode I. The character was sliced in half by Obi-Wan Kenobi at the end of the film, but managed to make a return in Clone Wars and then Rebels thanks to a set of mechanical legs.
Maul had a surprise appearance in the 2018 film Solo: A Star Wars Story, which also saw him have an apprentice, much like Lucas had planned.
Source: Polygon