The Force is strong...with action figures! Hasbro is here in San Diego to discuss all things Star Wars, including Star Wars Rebels toys, the Black Series, and much more. Follow along with our liveblog!
12:00: The panel begins! Hasbro is excited about Star Wars Rebels, especially the Inquisitor -- a new villain. They also get to make new toys! A screen of the first wave of Rebels figures is shown, including Artoo and Threepio. The new Rebels trailer is played and receives a nice ovation.
12:02: The team is busy. "The future is very bright for this brand, and we're thrilled to be along for the ride."
12:03: Discussion turns to Ralph McQuarrie and the classic Star Wars feel of Rebels. McQuarrie in particular is a huge influence on the series. Clip plays of Dave Filoni speaking about Rebels -- you can see it here: https://www.starwars.com/video/star-wars-rebels-the-empire-returns
12:06: At Hasbro, everyone admires McQuarrie's work and style. The toy line will reflect this. Original concept art of Chewbacca is shown -- very similar to Zeb from Rebels. Some things are taken directly from McQuarrie's work, some is inspired.
12:08: Bill Hawley, Hasbro designer, discusses creating the Hera figure. "We work back and forth with Lucasfilm, seamlessly." They receive lots of reference from Lucasfilm. In design, there are other considerations -- as a pilot, Hera needs to fit in a cockpit and look accurate. The final figure is shown on screen. Looks great!
12:12: Sabine comes with two pistols and two working holsters. She will be in a two-pack with a stormtrooper in the Mission Series, as will Hera. Cikatro Vizago, an underworld boss from Rebels, is show in his two-pack with his droid.
12:11: Sabine concepts and figure sculpts are shown. Hawley says it took the team three tries to get Sabine's pose right, in order to convey her attitude.
12:13: A Wookiee Missions pack from Rebels is shown, as are some classic character two-packs: Wicket and a scout trooper, and Bossk!
