‘Star Wars Rebels’ to re-air on ABC with Darth Vader cameo

“Star Wars Rebels” will begin its regular run on Disney XD on Monday, but later this month, the first episode of the animated series will air on ABC with a special bonus for fans: a cameo from Darth Vader himself.

The first episode, which originally aired on the Disney Channel on Oct. 3, will re-air on ABC on Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. James Earl Jones returns as the voice of Darth Vader, the imposing Sith Lord from the original “Star Wars” trilogy.

In a statement, executive producer Dave Filoni said, “We’ve added a scene which gives audiences insight into [series villain] the Inquisitor and includes a cameo by Darth Vader.”

“Rebels” debuted to an audience of 2.7-million viewers on Disney Channel and the hope is that more will be drawn into the series after its ABC airing.

Set a few years before “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope,” the series follows the rise of the Rebel Alliance through the eyes of a small group of resistance fighters, working to undermine the growing might of the Empire.

“It’s the origin story of the Rebel Alliance,” executive producer Simon Kinberg told fans at San Diego’s Comic-Con International in July, comparing “Star Wars Rebels” to a story of the American Revolution. “They’re rebels who don’t imagine they’ll be part of a larger organization one day.”

The rebels include Kanan, voiced by Freddie Prinze Jr., a Jedi knight on the run and in hiding; Zeb, a tall alien voiced by Steven Blum and based on McQuarrie’s original designs for Chewbacca; Sabine, a Mandalorian weapons expert played by Tiya Sircar; and Hera, the pilot and mother figure of the group voiced by Vanessa Marshall.

Other, more familiar faces — such as Darth Vader — appear from time to time.

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