“I would shave my head in that second”: actor Sam Witwer is ready to return to the role of Starkiller without hesitation

For fans who fell in love with Star Wars before Disney bought Lucasfilm, 2014 was a time of mourning, with many stories being declared non-canonical. Among them is the Starkiller saga. Gaylen Marek, introduced in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and its sequel, is a Force-sensitive youth kidnapped by Darth Vader and raised in darkness. Along with Darth Revan, Starkiller remains one of the most beloved Legends characters that fans want to return to the official canon. Such a chance almost presented itself during the release of the animated series "Rebels": Starkiller was planned to be one of the inquisitors - Jedi hunters. But the plan failed.

In an interview with the Polygon portal, actor Sam Witwer, who gave the voice and image of the charismatic Darth Maul in the new Star Wars project - Maul: Shadow Lord, was asked if he would return to the role Starkiller, if Lucasfilm had asked. To which the actor replied:

I would shave my head that very second. With great joy. I love this character. It is thanks to him that I am here.

And when it came to the hypothetical battle between his two iconic heroes - Maul and Starkiller - Witwer did not beat around the bush:

What if they fought? I am absolutely sure that I would be the winner.

The first two episodes of Star Wars: Maul: Shadow Lord are now available on Disney+, with new episodes airing every Monday until May 4th. But the question of Starkiller's canonization remains open. But if this happens, Sam Witwer is ready to take up the lightsaber again without hesitation.

Not all of Mark Hamill's kids like Star Wars

The star of the franchise about a galaxy far, far away, Mark Hamill (“The Long Walk”), who gave audiences the character of Luke Skywalker, said that his three children have completely different attitudes towards the films of the “Star Wars” universe.

In an interview USA Today the actor admitted that not all children are in delighted with the franchise.

Nathan Hamill, who was born during the filming of The Empire Strikes Back (Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back), was present on the set of Return of the Jedi (Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi).

“He was completely into it. He could sit in Yoda's house because he was small." <...> He was in a workshop making creatures, and he was allowed to play with them," Hamill said.

The second son, Griffin, was born during the filming of Return of the Jedi and was not imbued with the world of Star Wars. As the actor said, his second child, who is “more analytical and serious”, considers the films of the franchise to be “too commercial”.

The same can’t be said about Chelsea, Mark Hamill’s daughter. She likes Star Wars.

Hamill last appeared on the big screen in his famous image in the filmStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Rise (Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker).

About a year ago, Mark Hammill said that he would like to see Marvel star, actor Sebastian Stan (“The First Avenger”) in the role of young Luke Skywalker.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu | Final Trailer | In Theaters May 22

Lucasfilm turns 55 today, and that's quite the milestone for the Star Wars universe.

Before Star Wars, before ILM changed the way blockbusters were made, and before Lucasfilm became one of the most important names in modern franchise history, it was just a company founded by George Lucas on April 20, 1971.

This means that today is Lucasfilm's 55th anniversary.

According to the history of Lucasfilm itself, George Lucas founded Lucasfilm in 1971 after the creation of THX 1138, creating the company to support his future projects. A new anniversary announcement from ILM clarifies the date: Lucasfilm was founded onApril 20, 1971inMill Valley, Californiawhen Lucas was just26 years old.

And, frankly, this is a more significant anniversary than it might seem at first glance.

Star Wars Celebration Reveals New Key Posters for 2027 in Hollywood Style

Tickets for the 50th anniversary of the original film, Star Wars: Celebration in Los Angeles, will go on sale soon.

Star WarsCelebration will take place in Los Angeles from April 1 to April 4, 2027 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Newly unveiled key event posters pay homage to Tom Young's original poster in honor of the 50th anniversary of the firstStar Warsfilm.

Today, in conjunction with the announcement that tickets will go on sale for the event on Wednesday, May 6, a new poster was unveiled, showcasing a colorful mix of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia Organa, and the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO, against a backdrop of artistic depictions of Los Angeles landmarks, including a fun take on the classic "Hollywood" sign. Rising above it all are Darth Vader, the Imperial Death Star and several TIE fighters, with a pair of X-wing fighters ready to engage.

Tickets for the event and hotels recommended by the organizers will go on sale on May 6, 2026.

“Mol: Lord of Shadows”: first impressions of the series

The first two episodes of the animated series “Maul: Lord of Shadows” in the Star Wars universe were released on the Disney+ service. It is made mainly by the same people who are responsible for “The Clone Wars”, “Rebels” and “The Bad Batch” - producer and mastermind Dave Filoni, screenwriter Matt Michnovets, directors Brad Rau, Saul Ruiz and Stewart Lee. 

The series, both in plot and in the picture, seems to be just another spiritual continuation of “The Clone Wars.” Moreover, judging by the first two episodes, at least the first season (and “Lord of Shadows” was extended for a second season even before the premiere) tells one sequential story, divided into eight episodes. 

The series begins in George Lucas's favorite style In medias res - in the midst of events, without wasting time on build-up and without explaining anything. For everyone who is just planning to watch it, we recommend that you read our preview, from which you will at least understand where the events take place and who all these new faces are in the frame.

In short, the action takes place some time after the end of the Clone Wars and the proclamation of the Empire. The Shadow Collective, the massive crime syndicate Maul had assembled during the war, had already collapsed, and Maul himself was in disarray following the end of the Siege of Mandalore and the execution of Order 66. Only a handful of devoted comrades remained with him. But the Zabrak's goals remain unchanged - to take revenge on Sidious, and to do this, climb back to the top of the criminal world. 

Much of Star Wars Eclipse is ready, but there's a problem

Development of the ambitious and long-suffering Star Wars Eclipse is progressing “very slowly.” So slow that “the team makes very little progress for months.”

This was reported by sources on the Insider Gaming portal. But considering that the announcement of the game took place in 2021, the news is unlikely to surprise anyone.

At the same time, according to rumors, a significant part of Star Wars Eclipse has already been completed. Unfortunately, the game is still “several years away” from being fully completed.

It has been reported that both Quantic Dream and NetEase are counting on the financial success of Spellcasters Chronicles to spend the resulting funds on Eclipse. Let us remind you that the shareware MOBA entered early access in February and disappointed the players.

“If Spellcasters fails, NetEase is expected to reconsider its commitment to the studio [Quantic Dream] and may cease further investment,” Insider Gaming sources.

Star Wars Zero Company developer speaks out about the growing popularity of older game genres

Star Wars Zero Company Creative Director Greg Furch shared opinion about the growing popularity of old genres of computer games and their work on consoles.

According to Ferch, in the 2000s, various strategies, tactics and role-playing games could not be adapted to consoles for technical reasons. In addition, due to the prevalence of isometric sprite graphics, it was difficult to adapt the picture to the TV format.

Over time, these problems began to be eliminated, and now many genres that previously required the use of a keyboard and mouse are easily adapted to gamepads. This means their audience is growing.

The increase in popularity of older formats, according to Furch, began in 2012. This has affected the usual templates, into which the developers are trying to add novelty and innovative mechanics. He explained that although strategies and other similar projects seem simple to create, in reality they are much more complex.

Recall that Star Wars Zero Company will be released in 2026 on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series. The single-player turn-based strategy game will put players in command of an elite squad of mercenaries.

Lucasfilm wanted the upcoming Star Wars series to be the best ever

The star of the upcoming series Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord (Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord) said that the creative team is trying hard to make the series the greatest in the franchise.

In an interview with Star Wars Insider #236, lead actor Sam Witwer stated that Maul, Lord of Shadows will be unlike anything seen before. According to him, the creative team was tasked with making the show bigger and bolder.

Witwer noted that it was "the most complex series they've ever done." The actor also assured that "everyone rolled up their sleeves to make it something special." The animated series should expand the boundaries of storytelling.

He went on to talk in detail about the members of the creative team and their roles and the work that was done to bring the idea to life. For example, the star mentioned producer Athena Portillo, "who was so dedicated to getting it right that she didn't let [the project] fail."

In particular, Witwer noted that Dave Filoni "gave [them] direction to do everything better" and "to push things further." Filoni is now president of Lucasfilm.

The leading actor touched on the style of Lord of Shadows. The team not only used unique graphics, but also resorted to photography:

We even used some practical photography techniques that no one would recognize because everything looks like it was painted. But they solved problems the old fashioned way, like the guys from Industrial Light & Magic back in the day. These are people I have worked with for almost two decades. We trust each other completely. If someone has a comment, you listen. We all wanted to make it the best thing we've ever done.