by Kroze Kresky and Matt Sernaker, Editors

Star Wars Rebels is almost here, and ComicsOnline is the place to be for brand new interviews and coverage of the upcoming animated series!

We are pleased to share this new interview with our old friend Steve Blum (Transformers: Prime, Wolverine and the X-Men, The Spectacular Spider-Man), who will be joining the Star Wars Universe as Zeb. Steve was kind enough to discuss his new role and how he fits in with the crew of The Ghost, as well as how well Zeb would do in a fight against a character from his past!

The following was from a round table interview at San Diego Comic-Con 2014:

Question: Can you please tell us a bit about your character and how he fits in with this new group of Rebels?

Blum: I play Garazeb Orrelios, also known as Zeb. I’m only called Garazeb Orrelios when she (Vanessa Marshall’s Hera) is mad at me…or by my mom when she’s is mad at me. They call me the muscle. I’m a big dude. I don’t think I’m allowed to tell you what species I am, but I am a new species to the Star Wars Universe. To me, that is a really exciting thing…also a lot of pressure.

His relationships on the ship are going to take some time to develop. He starts off very close with Hera and Cain. There is a lot of mutual respect and trust. With the other characters on board (especially with Chopper) it’s pretty strained from the get go. It will take awhile for him to warm up. He feels a deep sense of loyalty and is sorta an older brother.

Question: With all of the news coming out recently regard the franchise as a whole, how has it been working on Star Wars and playing a character in this universe?

Blum: It’s a whole different thing. Going up to the Star Wars Day event in Orlando a few weeks ago kinda gave us the scope on how big this was. I’ve been a Star Wars fan since 77′, but this brings it to a whole new level. I didn’t realize that the fandom is so strong, and probably stronger than its ever been. To be a part of this universe that keeps expanding, I really wasn’t feeling the pressure until last night (at the panel). I feel a deep sense of responsibly to the fans, because I am a fan.

Question: You’ve done so many characters over the years, how does this one differ from your past roles?

Blum: They are all like children to me, and they are voices in my head that I have been carrying around forever. It’s a relief to let this one out finally. It’s been rolling around for awhile now, and I’m excited to have something to put that voice to. He’s different, but he’s so multi-layered. That is my favorite kind of character. I’ve played characters like Wolverine, who has many layers and has a messed up past, but he’s constantly growing. I feel the same with Zeb, but it’s taken to a different degree because the stakes are so high. We don’t know what has happened to his people, and these people (his shipmates) are his people now. It’s all he’s got left. He really cares about the greater good. It may just be a cartoon character to some people, but it’s an important role to me.

Question: Since you brought up Wolverine, do you think Zeb could hold his own against wolverine?

Blum: He probably wouldn’t heal as fast, but I think they would be great sparring partners. I actually don’t think that the fight would last that long, because they would probably end up going out for a drink. They would be buddies. I think he is one of the few characters that would understand Wolverine, and Wolverine would understand him as well. They would have a lot to talk about. In the middle of the fight they would go, “what are we doing? Let’s talk.”

…

Special thanks to our friends at Disney XD for arranging our Star Wars Rebels interviews.

Grab your lightsabers and head out into the unknown with ComicsOnline.com, and be sure to check back for more Star Wars Rebels interviews, news, and everything geek pop culture!