This one is outlandish, but I feel it's interesting. I believe there's a possibility that the "Zovaal" we've met and know as the big bad of Shadowlands is not actually the true Zovaal: instead, he's taken on the name and title of the true Jailer.
The first time you actually hear the name Zovaal in Shadowlands its as follows:
So this confirms that when the Eternal Ones are talking about the Jailer, they mean "Zovaal". What's interesting though is that the Zovaal we meet in game -is- in charge of the Maw... but he does NOT resemble a Jailer. Instead he resembles a prisoner: he has the shaved head, tattoos and shirtless aesthetic, broken chains on his wrists, etc. Hell in the rendered cinematic he's even imprisoned, so we know he WAS a prisoner once.Voice of the Primus says: I am the Primus. Your presence within my sanctum means a darkness has fallen upon Maldraxxus... and all the realms of Death.
Voice of the Primus says: Ages ago, the Eternal Ones punished our brother Zovaal for his treachery. He was bound within the inescapable Maw, to be forevermore its Jailer.
But... why would they imprison someone who is supposed to be the realm's Jailer? Isn't the Jailer supposed to run the prison, not be imprisoned himself?
Enter the Runecarver. The identity of this guy is a mystery and people have guessed he's the Primus, though that has yet to be confirmed. He has a huge powerset of domination powers, can make magical armor like the Armor of Domination and Frostmourne, and is a weird looking giant with a mystery head. On the topic of domination magic, the recent trailer shows that the runes on domination armor actually impose domination magic on the wearer (they glow when Anduin is being controlled).
So... why exactly is Zovaal COVERED in these runes? Why would the Jailer put domination runes on HIMSELF? They're on his forehead for gods sake. I think it's likely that someone else put those runes on him to dominate him and keep him in check.
Let's go back a bit to when we saw the first leaked image of "The Jailer".
He was a bearded old man decked out in robes, a domination crown and cool floaty armor. He had long pointy fingers and claws, chains all over him, but unlike Zovaal he isn't actually chained to anything nor are his armor pieces. He isn't a prisoner: he's the lord of the prison, even has that cool floating crest that the M+ meta mounts have.
You know who else has long clawed fingers, tattered robes, and ACTUALLY uses domination magic to make things himself as opposed to needing another person or smithee to create items? The Runecarver.
I think there's a very likely possibility that the Runecarver is the TRUE Jailer of the Maw (or whatever it used to be called) and that may make him actually the one they call Zovaal. In that case... big white baldy may be a complete mystery as to who he is. He could really be something that was imprisoned in the tower and took over, taking Zovaal's name and title as a disguise to make the Eternal Ones think Zovaal (the Runecarver who they did send to the Maw for something bad) is the one pulling the strings.
It's worth noting that none of the Eternal Ones have yet to see "the Jailer" himself... and if they do, they may realize they're fighting the wrong guy.