The character of Darth Maul has been hailed as a standout ever since his first appearance in Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace, and it seems as if that enthusiasm has only grown since then. Even now, a single Instagram post seems to have ignited endless speculation on the character's future.
Actor Ray Park, best known as the physical actor behind Darth Maul throughout the Star Wars series (though the character is always voiced by someone else, even in live action), recently made a rather cryptic post on Instagram that immediately caught the eyes of Maul fans. The shot consists of what appears to be a makeup mirror and the horned bald cap worn by Park when in character as the Sith Lord, albeit without its trademark red and black tattoos.
RELATED: Animators Recap The Mandalorian Based Solely On Their Friends’ Tweets
Needless to say, this was enough to fire up some excitement from fans who see it as a possible suggestion that Park is working on a new project as the spiky bad guy. His caption didn't help quell the rumors much, saying "Meet me on Dathomir!" Dathomir refers to Maul's home planet, where he was taken by Darth Sidious at a young age to be trained in the ways of the Sith. Hopefully Baby Yoda doesn't share the same fate.
This comment could mean any number of things, up to and including a simple behind the scenes look from Park's time working on Solo: A Star Wars Story. His cameo in the film as Maul (who had long since dropped the "Darth" title) marked the actor's most recent live action appearance as the Zabrak force user. While he also performed the motion capture for Maul's climactic duel with Ahsoka Tano (who has her own upcoming standalone Disney Plus show) in season 7 of The Clone Wars, it obviously wouldn't have required the use of the makeup seen in his Instagram post.
It's natural for fans to want to read into things like this. After all, with Star Wars enjoying a bit of a renaissance of new shows and movies on the near and distant horizon, who's to say Park won't return as Maul? It's just likely a good idea to temper expectations. Actors post little callbacks to past projects all the time, and there's a good chance that this is the same thing. Considering his use of the "Solo" hashtag combined with the fact that there's been no word on an explicit continuation of the story seen in Solo, that theory possesses some credence.
However, that shouldn't mean all hope is lost. Again, Star Wars is more popular than ever nowadays, with a seemingly limitless supply of new projects on the way. So anything is possible. So keep those expectations in check, but don't let that hope die. After all, rebellions are built on hope.
MORE: The Best Fictional Bands From Movies
Source: Ray Park|Instagram