Star Wars Rebels season 2 premiere date and plot: What is next in store for Ezra and Kanan in the Star Wars spinoff series

After a successful season 1 run, Star Wars Rebels season 2 will debut at Celebration Anaheim on 18 April 2015.

The premiere will be followed by an encore screening of season one's two-part finale, as well as a panel featuring Filoni, Prinze Jr, Vanessa Marshall (Hera Syndulla), Tiya Sircar (Sabine Wren), Steve Blum (Garazeb Orrelios), and Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger).

The StarWars website also hinted that the panel would feature a preview of the rest of the second season.

According to a report in TheForce, the full details of the Star Wars festival activities and panel discussions in Celebration Anaheim 2015 are out.

The report said that Star Wars Rebels Season Two global premiere screening will start at 5pm on 18 April.

"Witness the global premiere of Star Wars Rebels season two, which launches a whole new set of adventures for the Ghost crew and hints at the challenges to come under the shadow of their new adversary, Darth Vader. Attendees will be the first to see the two-part second season premiere following an encore screening of the thrilling season one finale."

The season finale saw Ezra and his team defeating the Empire's agents and the Inquisitor, and successfully rescuing Kanan. The episode also revealed the identity of Fulcrum to be Ahsoka Tano, and the storyline will continue into season 2.

'Dark' Star Wars rebels

Executive producer Dave Filoni talks season 2 and teases that season 1 is like A New Hope, and that season 2 will be, "more like Empire Strikes Back for our heroes." For next season to have that darker tone, the stakes needed to be raised, he dished.

In season 2, the Rebels will continue to explore the back stories of Ezra and Kanan, but also the rest of the Ghost's crew, as Filoni admitted that they, "didn't really begin to scratch the surface on some of them."

Ahsoka training Kanan and Ezra

With Ahsoka Tano revealed as Fulcrum, the Rebel coordinator, there were about a million possibilities opened up for the storyline of season 2. While there are many interactions fans want to see, the one thing that tops the list is Ahsoka training with Kanan and Ezra to hone their Jedi skills.

Empire will bounce back

With the Inquisitor dead, a Star Destroyer demolished, and Grand Moff Tarkin personally insulted in the season 1 finale, it's time for us to see the Empire strike back.

Also, with Darth Vader joining the series as a major menace facing the budding rebellion, season 2 will find Empire bouncing back, which means bad things for some of our favourite Rebels.

Ezra's family

The Star Wars Rebels season 1 touched on the topic of Ezra's parents, and that they were also secretly fighting against the Empire. However, what happens to them still remains a mystery.

The season 2 plot could delve deep into his family's roots, and reveal if they were taken by the Empire, and corrupted or if they are still alive.

Season 2 cast update

Sarah Michelle Gellar (The Crazy Ones, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) will join the voice cast in a recurring role for season two of the animated series.

Executive producer Dave Filoni said, "We're thrilled to have Sarah Michelle Gellar on board for season two. She is a true 'Star Wars Rebels' fan and her passion undoubtedly comes through in the voice recording sessions."

Sarah Michelle Gellar will join the talented voice cast that includes her husband Freddie Prinze Jr, Vanessa Marshall, Steve Blum, Tiya Sircar, Taylor Gray and David Oyelowo.

Also, reports say that the 2nd season will have more episodes than the first one.

Freddie Prinze Jr, who voices Kanan Jarrus on the show, revealed that the cast had recorded "nearly twice as many episodes" as the first season.