We haven’t had too much about Star Wars Rebels since we had the trailer for it back in May, but now Disney is ramping things up once again ahead of Comic-Con where the series will be doing some major interaction with fans. The latest piece to come out is a new 30 second that introduces us to Kallus is an Imperial Security Bureau (ISB) agent. Kallus is being played by David Oyelowo, who goes on to say that the character’s job “is to basically make sure everyone stays loyal. And anyone who gives a whiff of disloyalty has to be cut out. So, I guess you could safely say he’s a bad guy.”
Lucasfilm’s Carrie Beck, director of creative content strategy, says of the actor, “David brings a voice that is very authoritative and very commanding and very cool,” she says, “without betraying any sense of insecurity or weakness.” As seen in the video’s concept art and animation, Kallus wears classic gray Imperial military attire along with a threatening helmet for field missions, and has distinct angled facial hair.
Art director Kilian Plunkett also commented, saying, “He’s pretty literally a rebel hunter. His whole task is to investigate any sort of instance of local insurgency and see if it’s the beginnings of what could become a rebellion.” Moreover, he’s ambitious, and sees any victory over rebels as something he can use to climb the ranks of the Empire. Kallus is not in the position to command a fleet of Star Destroyers, adds executive producer Dave Filoni. Kallus is on the ground, leading stormtroopers in face-to-face battles against anti-Imperial groups — and his combat skills are impressive, including the use of a modified version of Zeb’s honor guard staff.
“I don’t know that Kallus would think that what he’s doing is really evil,” Filoni says. “He’s just doing his job for the Empire, and he believes in the Empire… So, Kallus — definitely an interesting character and one to watch out for. Especially if you’re a rebel.”
The series stars Freddie Prinze, Jr., Taylor Gray, Steve Blum, Tiya Sircar and Vanessa Marshall.
Plot concept: 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.
