We discussed the risks of shared universes and making long-term plans a bit yesterday, but when it comes to a well-established and iconic property like Star Wars, there’s really no other way to do it.  We’ve got a lot coming from the franchise on the film front, but apparently Disney and Lucasfilm are also making big plans in the TV realm as well.  Disney XD has only aired seven of 16 episodes of Star Wars Rebels thus far, but it’s being reported that Lucasfilm already knows how the show will end and also knows what series they’ll do when Rebels wraps up.

Hit the jump for more on Star Wars Rebels as well as a possible new cartoon that will be set during the timeline of the new films.

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Image via Disney XD

According to /Film, Disney and Lucasfilm are aiming for “about” three or four seasons of Star Wars Rebels and then will move on to a brand new series that will take place during the timeline of the new films – Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Episode VIII and Episode IX.

As someone who hasn’t bothered to watch Star Wars Rebels, this idea is surprisingly intriguing.  I can’t even count the number of times I’ve watched the original trilogy, but for some reason, finding out what happened five years prior to the events of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope hasn’t been of much interest.  However, getting a new animated series that could possibly overlap with the current trilogy is another story.

As /Film suggests, should Star Wars Rebels get two or three more seasons there’s a chance the new show could begin airing in 2017 or 2018, right around the time we’re going to get Star Wars: Episode VIII.  If the rumor is true, this could be a very smart play because it'll likely help keep story details consistent, keep hype high in between movies and also help usher in a new generation of fans as well.

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