They’ve arguably played those parts longer than Hayden and Natalie did.
It’s really starting to bug me that there are hundreds of episodes set in the PT with all of the main characters. But seeing the OT characters is like an event or at least a treat, doled out sparingly and grudgingly.
I love Rebels, I do. But what I REALLY want is a weekly show set between Star Wars and Empire with LOTS of good old Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewie!
Right they announced they were doing a new animated series after CW, I thought it was a given that it would be that. The title “Rebels” only further cemented my conviction. Then they through a curveball. This actually the same kind of thing CW would’ve been had it not been for Gearge Lucas insisting it be about Anakin and Obi-Wan. Ahsoka and the Twilight are what’s left of that pitch. I still hope they do a series like the Marvel comics set between ANH and ESB, but I no longer expect it. I think they’ll be moving on to something more ST-centric. Rebels has provide them with a supporting cast that could largely transfer over. Maybe some day…