'Star Wars 7' Casting News, Rumors: Disney XD's 'Rebels' characters could appear in J.J. Abrams' 'Episode VII'

While rumors are spreading about a possible full title leaking online, the latest speculation around J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: Episode VII involves another Lucasfilm and Disney property: Star Wars Rebels. This new animated television series premiering on Disney XD this fall, but a new rumor teases an expansion on some characters featured in Rebels. Could we see these characters on the big screen in live-action form?

According to a new interview with The Empire Strikes Back actor John Morton, some characters could link the animated series and the new movie trilogy up.

"Rebels is the key. Rebels will provide the link to bring in the continuity from Clone Wars, the Original Trilogy and the Prequels to enable LucasFilm and Disney to tee-up 'Episode VII'. If you want my informed opinion, it will enable 'Episode VII' to leapfrog over the whole trilogy," he explained at a recent Star Wars convention in England. "The key that is going to make this work is Rebels. Rebels will set up and point the direction for 'Episode VII'."

So far, it looks like Morton is pretty excited about Rebels. Perhaps a bit too excited because he might have spoiled a big plot point for the upcoming 2015 blockbuster.

"The characters they are creating in Rebels will be around in 'Episode VII,'" he stated.

We should be a little wary of this quote. Morton could just mean that the types of characters in Rebels could be around in the new trilogy, like races, etc. Also, Morton isn't exactly a huge part of the Star Wars universe, so his knowledge of Episode VII probably isn't too vast.

What do you think of this possible link between Rebels and Episode VII?