The future looks bright for Star Wars fans with an array of animated projects on the horizon, as highlighted by Athena Portillo, Vice President of Animation at Lucasfilm, during her exclusive interview with IGN at Star Wars Celebration Japan. Portillo delved into the details of two highly anticipated series: the newly announced "Tales of the Underworld" and "Maul: Shadow Lord."

Portillo expressed her enthusiasm about collaborating with Sam Witwer, the iconic voice behind Darth Maul, on the development of "Maul: Shadow Lord." She emphasized Witwer's integral role in shaping the character's depth and lore, alongside head writer and supervising director Dave Filoni. "Sam was involved a lot with the character depth and the lore," Portillo shared. "He gets to read the scripts, watch the whip reels, and provide input, which is crucial as he and Filoni co-created Maul in animation."

While Darth Maul has been a familiar face in the Star Wars universe, "Maul: Shadow Lord" promises to explore his story in unprecedented depth. Portillo likened Maul to iconic horror figures like Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees, noting, "You keep killing them, but they keep coming back. There is that threat that's there, right? I mean, it's Star Wars, right? So Darth Maul has passed away so many times, but he does keep coming back."

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Portillo also highlighted the significant advancements in Lucasfilm Animation's production techniques for these new projects, mentioning enhancements in "the animation, the lighting, the effects, the matte paintings, the lighting concepts, the assets." She recounted Filoni's challenge to the team post-Covid to push beyond their comfort zones: "Being uncomfortable is a good feeling, and it leads you to greater things. So, create something that is an upgrade of what we're used to doing." This included updates in animation style, body mechanics, facial animation, and lighting, which Filoni praised as "creating cinema."

"Maul: Shadow Lord" is set to release in 2026, following the completion of "Tales of the Underworld," which marks a significant step forward in their animation quality. "All of it is an upgrade from what we've done, and even from the Bad Batch, even from Tales of the Underworld, it's an upgrade," Portillo stated confidently.

"Tales of the Underworld" will feature Asajj Ventress and Cad Bane, with each character getting three episodes, totaling six. Ventress' storyline will revolve around her resurrection by Mother Talzin and her subsequent journey with a young boy, forming a narrative about two Jedi on the run and the development of a relationship over the course of the shorts.

Portillo confirmed that "Tales of the Underworld" continues the storyline from the "Dark Disciple" novel, where Ventress' fate was left ambiguous. She highlighted the fan-favorite connection between Ventress and Quinlan Vos, saying, "When the fans saw that, and when he said, 'I will always love you,' it blew everyone away." The series will explore themes of love and redemption, touching on Ventress' struggle with her past and her path forward.

"Sometimes after they've gone through a lot, they start to rethink their path, and which way they want to go," Portillo explained, emphasizing Ventress' journey of self-discovery and the influence of the characters she meets along the way.

Both series are poised to expand the Star Wars universe in exciting ways. "Tales of the Underworld" is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ on May 4, 2025, while fans eagerly await further details on the release of "Maul: Shadow Lord."