New characters join Rebels roster

The latest characters to be revealed for the upcoming animated television series are to be voiced by Freddie Prinze Jr and Taylor Gray, Disney has revealed.

Kanan Jarrus (pictured, left) has been described as a rough around the edges "cowboy Jedi" was forced into hiding after Order 66 was issued, and is one of the crew members of the starship Ghost will be voiced by Freddie Prinze Jr, who will no doubt be pleased to add the Star Wars franchise to his already impressive list of acting credits.

Ezra Bridger (pictured, right), a young con artist from the streets of Lothal, is unknowingly Force-sensitive and meets up with and joins the team of the Ghost to be mentored by Kanan. It was revealed today that he will be voiced by Nickelodeon star Taylor Gray, who was chosen for the raw, authentic quality to his voice that didn't leave him sounding too contemporary.

Rebels is set in the years before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and follows the crew of the Ghost as they battle Imperial forces and stand up to the Emperor's rule. The series features many returning crew members who have previously worked on the Clone Wars series, and Pablo Hidalgo will be consulting on continuity issues.

Star Wars: Rebels will make its debut in autumn with an hour-long special before moving to a regular half-hour slot.