Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Maul – Shadow Lord season 1, episode 2.Wagner Moura is starring in a new spy thriller series on Disney+, and it’s the perfect follow-up to his role as Pablo Escobar in Netflix’s Narcos. Wagner Moura has enjoyed quite a bit of success since he had his breakthrough role in the United States in 2015 by starring in Narcos. Most recently, Moura was nominated for Best Actor for his role in The Secret Agent, and he won a Golden Globe for the performance.

As impressive as Moura’s career has been since he departed Narcos in 2016, the actor hasn’t had a replacement for that series so far. Most of his roles to date have been in movies like Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and Civil War. Moura’s only television shows since 2016 have been small roles, like Shining Girls and Dope Thief. Out of all of Wagner Moura’s best roles, none of them have been able to recapture the magic of Narcos on the small screen.

That is, however, until now. Wagner Moura is currently lending his vocal talents to Star Wars through Maul – Shadow Lord, which premiered on April 6. Though it may not seem like a similar fit to Narcos, as Star Wars is both science fiction and typically geared towards families, Maul – Shadow Lord may just be his replacement for his former acclaimed crime thriller. Additionally, since Maul – Shadow Lord season 2 has already been confirmed, it may be his best shot of topping Narcos.

Wagner Moura Voices A Police Detective In Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord

Wagner Moura plays Captain Brander Lawson, one of the central characters in Maul – Shadow Lord. Lawson is also a character that makes this show very similar to Narcos. Maul – Shadow Lord follows the titular Maul as he begins exacting revenge against rival criminal syndicates that smuggle spice, the Star Wars version of drugs. Moura’s character, Lawson, is a detective for the police on Janix, where the entire series takes place.

Brander Lawson in Maul – Shadow Lord is essentially the exact opposite of Pablo Escobar in Narcos, but both of Moura’s characters are in eerily similar shows. Both series center around a sinister but strangely magnetic villain who vies to take control of the drug trade. Both feature under-equipped but doggedly determined lawmen. Both are action-packed crime thrillers that cater to a mature audience, a feature which is unique for a Star Wars show.

Maul – Shadow Lord should also appeal to the same audience that Narcos did. If you liked the way Pablo Escobar rose to prominence in Narcos by trampling on the backs of his enemies, then you’ll love what’s in store for Maul in Shadow Lord. If you liked the violence and suspense of watching criminals consolidate power and fight against the authorities, you’ll love what Maul – Shadow Lord is already doing after just two episodes.

Wagner Moura’s Career Has Come Full Circle

Maul – Shadow Lord doesn’t just give Wagner Moura a replacement for Narcos, however, it also brings his acting career full circle. As previously mentioned, Moura had his breakthrough role in the United States when he began portraying real-life drug kingpin Pablo Escobar in Narcos in 2015. Before that, Moura rose to prominence in Brazil thanks to his leading role in Elite Squad in 2007, where he played a police captain.

After Narcos highlighted his incredible ability to portray a sinister and complicated villain, Moura was briefly typecast as a bad guy. Films like The Gray Man and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish capitalized on Moura’s claim to fame in America from Narcos. Then, however, Moura started gaining critical acclaim through movies like Civil War and The Secret Agent, both of which cast him as a protagonist.

Now, nearly 20 years after his first major role, Wagner Moura is once again playing a police captain in a crime thriller, this time in a very famous and established sci-fi franchise. Moura’s acting career began with him playing a hero in a gritty thriller, saw him become typecast as a villain, saw him gain Academy recognition, and finally saw him join a massive media franchise while returning to the same kind of role that started his stardom in the first place.

Moura’s role in Maul – Shadow Lord truly highlights how much range he has as an actor. Very few actors can thrive as both heroes and villains, and even fewer can manage to escape being typecast after delivering a performance as compelling as Moura’s in Narcos. Almost none of them can go from relative obscurity in Elite Squad to superstardom in Maul – Shadow Lord by taking on almost the same role.

Release Date

April 6, 2026

Network

Disney+

Directors

Brad Rau

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  Gideon Adlon

  Devon Izara (voice)

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  David C. Collins

  Spybot (voice)