Check out the Star Wars Rebels Season Two trailer and complete panel liveblog below!
(Taylor played Obi-Wan and Plo Koon in The Clone Wars.)
Asks the crowd for their favorite moments on the Main Stage so far — there’s been the trailer reveal, Carrie Fisher interview, tons of awesome stuff — but are we ready for Rebels?!
And here’s the cast! Taylor Gray (Ezra), Tiya Sircar (Sabine), Steve Blum (Zeb), Vanessa Marshall (Hera), Freddie Prinze, Jr. (Kanan)! Also — executive producer Simon Kinberg, and Mr, Dave Filoni!
“It’s good to be home with my family!” Marshall says of the fans.
How did Season One come together?
“One thing we wanted to explore was a Jedi kid growing up when there were no Jedi…Simon wanted a family dynamic, living on a ship…by the end of it, the diabolical plan came together because I got to put Ahsoka Tano in it.”
“It’s been amazing,” Kinberg says. Star Wars was the reason he wanted to work in film. “To have the humor, the humanity, the velocity of the original films…we spent a lot of time creating the vibe [that captures the classic trilogy].”
Has your appreciation of Star Wars changed now?
Prinze explains that the scar on his chin comes from playing Star Wars as a child. So he’s always been a fan.
Gray says “It’s so fun. It’s Star Wars. Everyone loves it.”
“What’s great about Star Wars, is you can come to it any point in your life,” Sircar says.
How would the cast rate their level of fandom before and after the series?
Sircar was about a 4, now a 10. Marshall says she’s always been a 10. “I’m so happy,” she says.
“I embraced liking the stuff I like a long time ago. I was an easy 10 going in, and I’m a 10 to this day.” – Prinze, Jr.
“It’s in your DNA.”
Kinberg says his first actual memory is seeing A New Hope, and he camped out for the premiere of Empire. “I’m a 10 for life.”
Filoni says that he, Simon Kinberg and Greg Weisman were always in alignment on the cast. “Freddie’s read was instant Star Wars for me. You nailed it.”
Who’s the jokester in the group?
“Steve Blum, for sure.” – Filoni
Who’s the most late? Steve.
Is the cast as close as the team? “It was an instant bond,” Blum says.
“It’s a motley crew in real life, too,” Marshall says.
Prinze talks about the difference with recording Rebels — the whole cast travels together in road trips to the record, where they get to practice, and then they record together — a rarity for animation.
“You notice how Dave’s a Sith Lord,” Prinze says about his deflecting questions.
What has Ezra learned. “What family is…but the coolest is how to be a Jedi and how to use a lightsaber.”
Sabine? “How to be a little more trusting. Sabine was the least welcoming of Ezra…over the course of Season One, she warms up to him a little bit, and learns to be a little more trusting.”
What does the future bring?
Let’s take a look! The lights go down!
Standing ovation.
Let’s watch it again.
Ashley Eckstein and Dee Bradley Baker join the panel!
When Eckstein came back to record, she cried upon seeing Baker. “I was so happy that Captain Rex was back.”
Baker: “I want to see what this guy’s still got in ’em. And I think fans will see that.”
Concept art showing of three clones, and their transport.
The trailer (coming online soon!) was cut by Lucasfilm’s Kevin Yost. Big cheers. Now fan questions!
Would Freddie sign a fan’s book? He jumps up to do it.
Any advice for aspiring voice actors?
Go to iwantobeavoiceactor.com — completely free. It was made by Dee Bradley Baker.
How did Rex and the other clones survive?
(Big cheers.)
“George and I had several conversations about it…we had everything mapped out.”
“If you watch the Season Six episodes on Netflix where Fives discovers the [Order 66] chip, Fives tells Rex…I’ve always felt the truth can break any spell.”
Another tease: “We all love Rex — Kanan, not so much.” — Filoni
Did Yoda anoint Kanan a Jedi?
Prinze says if you’re going by Jedi trials, he’s not halfway there.
Who does Chopper’s voice, asks young fan Eliza?
Dave gets up and whispers the answer in her ear. “I told her the truth.”
What’s the relationship between Ahsoka and Vader in Season Two?
“Ahsoka and Vader was the topic that George and I discussed…let’s just say that it’s part of the story that we have to tell you.”
Will we see the return of Cad Bane?
“We wanted the cast of Rebels to have their space. They need to own this time period…if we found a way to include characters from the past, [we would].”
“We don’t want it to seem like a stream of guest appearances. If it makes sense, [we would].”
And that’s it! Thanks for following along!
Host James Arnold Taylor takes the stage — wearing very cool Rebels sneakers!