Warning: Major spoilers ahead for "Solo: A Star Wars Story."
Disney's "Solo: A Star Wars Story" concluded with a shocking cameo by Darth Maul, played by the character's original actor Ray Park. The high-levels of mystery surrounding his "Solo" cameo meant long months of intense secrecy, even in Park's own home.
"We didn't mention the word 'Solo' in the house," Park told INSIDER. "I said, 'Don't even say Lucasfilm or Darth Maul, don't say Sith, don't say Disney, don't say anything. Just don't say a word.'"
This fearsome character first appeared in the 1999 "Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace." Maul had very few lines, and the ones he did were actually spoken by voice actor Peter Serafinowicz. Park did all of the fight choreography and physical performance for both "Episode I" and now "Solo."
Maul shows up at the end of the Han Solo-focused story, when his childhood friend and love Qi'ra (Emilia Clarke) betrays him and then calls into the boss of her crime syndicate The Shadow Collective. Turns out the head honcho was Maul all along, and he menacingly promises Qi'Ra they'll be working much more closely now.
Park says he first got the call from Lucasfilm executive Lynne Hale while he was on vacation in Guatemala doing a convention appearance and some site seeing.
"I didn't think it had anything to do with any movie, and I said, 'Look, the organizers are waiting for us downstairs. Do you mind if I call you back in an hour?'" Park said. "My wife was saying, 'You must call back now, what if it's important? You never know.'"
Turns out Park's wife was right — the call was an invite for Park to return to the "Star Wars" franchise after nearly 19 years. He was thrilled, but had to immediately put on his best poker face. Hale told him even his wife and kids couldn't know.
"I got off the phone, and I said, 'Look, I'm not going to say anything, because we're in a hotel and you never know, but do a happy dance,'" Park said while swinging his arms around in a very lightsaber-esque fashion.
Park's wife figured out what had just transpired on the phone, even though he never explicitly told her the news. His children eventually deduced the truth too after he shaved his head and began making mysterious trips to London.
Another person Park had to keep the secret from was Daniel Logan, the actor who played young Boba Fett in the prequel movies. Park, who is a trained martial artist, still meets up with Logan.
"He's a very good friend of mine, and he comes over to train," Park said. "I kept on saying to him, 'Come on buddy, you've got to train harder. You never know.' Because I knew I was [playing Maul again]. He thought I was mental, because he saw me a shaved head and he was like, 'Here we go, Ray's going crazy again.' He didn't know it was because of 'Solo.'"
"I was hoping and I was wishing, but never in a million years did I think I was going to come back for 'Solo,'" Park said. "Han Solo is my favorite character. It's really ironic that I'm in the movie."
But will we see Maul in more movies to come? "Solo" star Alden Ehrenreich has said he's signed on for three "Solo" movies.
"About 1,000," Park said when INSIDER asked how many movies Lucasfilm discussed him returning for. "No, I'm joking. There's no talk about anything at the moment. I'm just really grateful to come back for 'Solo.' It was a lot of fun to sit on that chair, and watch Ron [Howard] direct me, and pay me compliments, and just look down and go, 'Wow. I'm back.' I couldn't believe it."
Though he says there are no plans yet for future Darth Maul appearances in movies, Park has his own ideas of what kind of "Star Wars" story he'd like to tell next.
"Before I was in 'Solo,' I always thought it would be a good idea to have a movie with me, hopefully, as Darth Maul, and have it just be a silent quest for Obi Wan," Park said. "One of those old-fashioned silent movies. I really hope and I wish ... I'm praying, I'm training hard. Just in case I get that call again to keep a secret."
"Solo" is available for digital purchase starting September 14, and will be on Blu-ray and in stores on September 25. In the meantime, you can watch Maul's cameo in the movie below, courtesy of an exclusive clip published on IGN.
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