While the Star Wars fanbase has found itself more divided than ever, ask any Star Wars fan, and they'll surely agree that the Disney sequel trilogy yielded mixed results. Thanks to this stark mixture of crushing disappointment and breathtaking elation, many have wondered whether a Star Wars sequel trilogy from creator George Lucas would have been more satisfying.

Updated June 2nd, 2023: This article has been updated with more news regarding George Lucas' plans for Star Wars and the current status of the franchise.

Well, there is now at least partly an answer for fans to judge from. Several intriguing details have now emerged regarding a scrapped set of sequels from Lucas himself.

"The movies are about how Leia - I mean, who else is going to be the leader? - is trying to rebuild the Republic... Luke is trying to restart the Jedi."

Detailed in the book Taschen's The Star Wars Archives 1999-2005, George Lucas reveals that his sequel trilogy would have centered on Carrie Fisher's Leia Organa. But who would have been the face of the Dark Side opposite Leia's Light? Well, this is where things get even more interesting, as Lucas reveals that he would have resurrected none other than the fan-favorite, spiky-headed, double-edged lightsaber-wielding Darth Maul. And Maul would not have been alone.

"Darth Maul trained a girl, Darth Talon, who was in the comic books, as his apprentice. She was the new Darth Vader and most of the action was with her. So, these were the two main villains of the trilogy."

So, instead of Rey, Finn, Poe, and Kylo Ren, George Lucas' Star Wars sequel trilogy would have seen the franchise led by both a female hero and villain as Leia must battle against Darth Talon, a Sith under the tutelage of Darth Maul. Lucas' idea has potential, but seeing as how online fandom took an issue with Rey and other women in the Star Wars universe, it seems unlikely they would have accepted this with open arms. It is easy to forget how much many of the fans who now wish the George Lucas trilogy was made also hated the prequel trilogy until the sequel trilogy came out.

Darth Maul's Role In Star Wars Since

Ray Park and Sam Witwer as Darth Maul in Solo: A Star Wars Story
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Interestingly enough, Maul did end up making a comeback in other Star Wars projects. In Star Wars: The Clone Wars, fans saw Maul, this time voiced by Sam Witwer, return, both from "the dead" and from insanity. He was rescued by Savage Opress (Clancy Brown), who, for a time, Maul trained as his apprentice. Maul became the ruler of Mandalore and was the main antagonist for the final episode of The Clone Wars. Maul's next two appearances came after Disney took control of Star Wars.

Related: Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Best Villains in the TV Show, Ranked

The first was in the 2014 animated series Star Wars: Rebels, Maul tries to bring Ezra Bridger (Taylor Gray) to the dark side, once again trying to find an apprentice to help him take revenge on Obi-Wan Kenobi. Maul dies in his fight with Kenobi, set a few years before the events of A New Hope. It appears by this point Lucas' protege Dave Filoni realized the film versions were not going to use Maul and he could play around with the character.

Maul also appeared in Solo: A Star Wars Story, which was set between Clone Wars and Rebels. Lucasfilm had been developing a Han Solo movie even before Disney bought them, so there is a chance Maul was part of the film from the beginning, and this was George Lucas laying the groundwork for something that would not come to pass.

The Issue With The Original Plans

Carrie Fisher in Star Wars
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

With how much Lucas had invested in these new Star Wars films, one wonders why he didn't make them and, ultimately, why he decided to sell the franchise to Disney. The answer is family. "At that time I was starting the next trilogy; I talked to the actors and I was starting to gear up," the legendary filmmaker explains. "I was also about to have a daughter... it takes 10 years to make a trilogy... I'd still be working on Episode 9! ... Finally, I'd decided I'd rather raise my daughter and enjoy life for a while."

Related: Mark Hamill Supports Recasting of Luke Skywalker, But Doesn't Feel Star Wars Needs Young Luke Stories

While fans may wonder what might have been, it is also important to remember there is a chance Lucas would have had to deal with an unforeseen circumstance. Had George Lucas' films stuck to the same release pattern as the Disney film with a main Star Wars storyline every two years as opposed to the traditional three, Carrie Fisher still would have passed away in 2016. This would have forced a change in Lucas' plan, the same way it did for Lucasfilm on The Rise of Skywalker. For as much as a plan seems like a good idea, the plan also can and will likely change. It is easier to say Lucas' films would have been better because they are just ideas, audiences can't truly compare them to the sequel Trilogy.

With the news of a sequel to The Rise of Skywalker that follows Rey rebuilding a new Jedi Order, it is entirely possible some of Lucas' story treatment ideas could be repurposed but with Rey in the role of Princess Leia. Rey was Leia's apprentice, so it would be fitting for her to take on this mantle.