The Actor Behind Star Wars' Darth Maul Almost Played An Unlikely Marvel Superhero
Scottish actor and marital artist Ray Park began his film career as a stunt double for actors Robin Shou and James Remar in the 1997 video game adaptation "Mortal Kombat: Annihilation." He played some other characters too, although only in a background capacity; his face could not be seen. 1999 saw Park's career explode, however, as he played the demonic Darth Maul in George Lucas' supra-blockbuster "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace." At the time, critics were mixed on "The Phantom Menace," but many "Star Wars" fanboys agreed that Darth Maul was really, really cool. He didn't speak much — and when he did, he was voiced by Peter Serafinowicz — but his double-sided lightsaber, black cloak, stoic demeanor, and striking facial markings made Maul one of the most memorable parts of an otherwise forgettable film.
Later in 1999, Park also served as the body/fight double for the Headless Horseman in Tim Burton's "Sleepy Hollow," an underrated film. This was followed by his 2000 appearance as the supervillain Toad in Bryan Singer's "X-Men." Ray Park had, in only just a few short months, become a recognizable pop culture icon. And his face wasn't even visible most of the time. It seemed like Park's career would only continue to grow.
And indeed, in issue #70 of Star Wars Insider Magazine, published in 2003, Park was said to have signed on to play the Marvel character Iron Fist in a then-upcoming feature film. Iron Fist was relatively obscure at the time — this was long before the character would be given the star treatment in Netflix's 2017 TV series — but he was to be given the live-action, big-screen treatment, thanks to a massive motion picture deal that Marvel had just signed with the then-big Artisan Entertainment.
Marvel in the year 2000
On May 16, 2000, Variety printed an article about the massive and exciting deal Marvel had struck with Artisan. Recall that in 2000, Marvel Comics was in dire financial straits, and they were eager to license their worthless characters to any eager takers. This was many years before the Marvel Cinematic Universe was a twinkle in Kevin Feige's eye. The Artisan deal included the rights to make feature films starring Thor and Captain America, as well as multiple others. Wesley Snipes was attached to a "Black Panther" feature. "Deadpool" was already in the works, as were "Morbius" and "Ant-Man." Other films put into development never saw the light of day, including "Power Pack," "Longshot" (an obscure X-Men supporting player), and the very amusing-sounding "Mort the Dead Teenager."
Also on the docket was Iron Fist, a martial artist character invented in 1974, possessed of metal-hard hands. Park had signed on to play Iron Fist in a feature film, with experienced Hong Kong filmmaker Che-kirk Wong ("The Big Hit") slated to direct. At the time, Park said:
"My Dad has heard of this comic, but I hadn't. So I've started collecting the books and I've already spent hundreds of dollars on it. [...] It will be challenging. [...] Being the good guy for once will be a totally new experience for me. [...] [Iron Fist] has acquired superpowers through the ability to control his chi, his bodily energy, into his fist and strike with the force of iron."
Star Wars Insider Magazine also outlined the plot of "Iron Fist" as an origin story. Iron Fist's parents were slain by criminals, and he was taken in his martial artist monks. After a youth of training, Iron Fist would return to the big city to wreak vengeance.
Maul survived somehow
Recall that the above "Iron Fist" story was written long before "Batman Begins" was a thing.
The Artisan/Marvel collaboration, sadly, never came to be when Artisan ran into some financial issues. In 2003, the company was acquired by Lionsgate, and that seemingly ended all Marvel collaborations. This was after Miramax offered funding to Marvel Comics to buy the characters back from Artisan. As we now know, the characters eventually landed back in the hands of Marvel, who would sell them back out to Disney in 2009. The next decade of superhero cinema is well-documented.
As for Park, he also expressed an interest in Star Wars Insider to return to Darth Maul someday. He wasn't sure how, though, as his character was sliced in half in "The Phantom Menace." He said:
"For a long time I had stayed optimistic and would have liked to return in whatever shape or form. To thousands of fans, I am Darth Maul. [...] After all, Darth Maul got killed off, so, I think George Lucas has made his decision. I don't think he'll be bringing me back. I just have to think it was a good experience and a good time in my life."
At the time, Park couldn't have known about Ron Howard's 2018 film "Solo: A Star Wars Story" — a film set after the events of "Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith" but before the original "Star Wars" — was going to be made. In that film, Park appeared as a resurrected Maul, sporting robotic legs, and conspiring with one of the film's protagonists.
Park didn't get to play Iron Fist, but he did get his wish to return to "Star Wars."