There is a palpable excitement in the air since Disney bought the Star Wars franchise from dear old George (one you can almost cut with a saber). Now, we get more info on the new (or should I say old) settings the series will explore, and the reveal of a feisty new droid.
Dave Filoni (executive producer) recently talked about how the new Disney series will harken back to many familiar elements of the original trilogy. “We will see many things that are famous to Star Wars , but have not appeared on screen in a while. Star Destroyers, TIE Fighters, and Stormtroopers – basically the Empire is back and that is a big change, since, for many years, we have only seen the Republic in action. The tone of the series is also different. The Clone Wars got very dark as we headed towards the end of the war and the downfall of the Jedi. Star Wars Rebels brings back the banter and faster pace that the original films were famous for.” Filoni says.
Also, in a video found here , we are introduced to a new kind of astro-droid. While everyone is familiar with the lovable (and many times heroic) R2D2, the new droid Chopper is like the mechanical yin to his yang. He’s described as loyal, but doesn’t like to be told what to do (many times ignoring orders all together and going off mission). The biggest difference, according to the designers, is that Chopper really doesn’t care if you like him or not.
For more on why Rebels should have a far wider appeal than its Clone Wars counterpart, be sure to check out my thoughts on the new Star Wars series right here .