Lucasfilm and Disney gave us our first look at one of our bad guys in “Star Wars: Rebels,” the Imperial Agent Kallus. He’s being voiced by David Oyelowo.
Here’s the official release:
Agent Kallus, one of the Empire’s leading enforcers in the upcoming Star Wars Rebels animated series, is a major threat for the Ghost crew’s small band of heroes.
Revealed here in this special behind-the-scenes video, Kallus is an Imperial Security Bureau (ISB) agent. According to David Oyelowo, who plays Agent Kallus, he’s ruthless, unforgiving, and an example of the Empire’s tyranny. “His job,” says Oyelowo, “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, thinks Oyelowo is more than convincing as Kallus. “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.
According to art director Kilian Plunkett, “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.”
“Star Wars: Rebels” debuts on Disney and Disney XD this fall.