Say hello to Ezra the second Star Wars Rebels character revealed this week, the first was Kanan (voiced by Freddie Prinze Jr.)
Thanks to TV Guide we have a behind-the-scenes video detailing Ezra’s (voiced by Taylor Gray) character and creation.
When we meet Ezra, he has little interest in becoming a revolutionary. He’s been living on his own on the planet Lothal and is just starting to learn how to use his mysterious new powers.
Dave Filoni reveals that he is a Force sensitive:
“To survive, instinctively every now and then when he’s in a jam he uses the Force. He doesn’t call it that. He doesn’t know that’s what he’s doing. He thinks he’s got some abilities that are a little strange every now and then, but they help him out. It’s instinctive, it’s reactionary.”
Filoni tells the magazine more details:
“With Ezra we see how a kid is reacting to this imperial rule. That becomes a big question: What is imperial rule like? We’ve seen it in the movies with a big rebellion that ends up blowing up the Death Star, but do we just assume that when the Empire took over in Revenge of the Sith it was seen as a bad thing? I would challenge that. It wasn’t this terrible thing that came in and was cruel to everyone all at once. It was slow to build its power base and spread out, and then we get to see the rebel alliance it affects, and the repercussions of that tyranny.”
Filoni chose Taylor Gray for the role because his voice wasn’t too contemporary:
“I don’t want to sound like I just went down to the local mall [to cast the role]. There’s a rawness to him that feels very authentic. Taylor really seems to be able to occupy the character in this time period of the Star Wars universe. He’s a real kid who’s out there in the galaxy.”
Gray who starred in the Nickelodeon series Bucket & Skinner’s Epic Adventures is excited for the opportunity:
“I’m excited to voice the role of Ezra in Star Wars Rebels but I’m even more excited to be a part of the Star Wars legacy. I can’t wait for fans new and existing to come together and see the next chapter in the most legendary tale known in the galaxy.”
Ezra will eventually meet Kanan and be mentored by him.
The upcoming series is set between the events of Episode III and IV, an era spanning almost two decades never-before explored on-screen. It takes place in a time where the Empire is securing its grip on the galaxy and hunting down the last of the Jedi Knights as a fledgling rebellion against the Empire is taking shape.
Star Wars Rebels will be produced by Lucasfilm Animation, featuring many of the key talents that made Star Wars: The Clone Wars. It is scheduled to premiere in fall 2014 as a one-hour special telecast on Disney Channel, and will be followed by a series on Disney XD channels around the world.
Source: TV Guide
Irwin Fletcher
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