Summary
- Game of Thrones actor Rory McCann will replace Ray Stevenson as Baylan Skoll in Ahsoka season 2.
- Fans react positively to McCann's casting despite initial suggestions of other actors.
- McCann brings experience in high-profile projects but has big shoes to fill following Stevenson's acclaimed performance.
A Star Wars series has recast a fan-favorite character for its upcoming season, and the new actor chosen is a recognizable face for Game of Thrones fans.
Star Wars: Ahsoka featured multiple foils for the eponymous heroine, including Ray Stevenson as a former Jedi named Baylan Skoll and his apprentice Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno). Stevenson's performance as Baylan Skoll was widely praised as one of the show's highlights, but the actor was never able to see his work celebrated. Stevenson sadly passed away in May 2023, roughly 3 months before Ahsoka premiered on Disney Plus. Because the first season concluded will multiple cliffhangers, the series creators had to decide how to resolve Baylan Skoll's storyline in Ahsoka season 2, with recasting the role being the most likely course of action.
Star Wars Actor Shares Positive Mental Health Update
Jake Lloyd, The Phantom Menace’s young Anakin Skywalker, shares a positive mental health update after years of challenges and treatment.
Now, Jeff Sneider reports that Game of Thrones actor Rory McCann will take over the role of Baylan Skoll in Ahsoka season 2 (confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter). McCann is perhaps best known for playing fan-favorite character Sandor Clegane, a.k.a. The Hound, for all 8 seasons of Game of Thrones. Lucasfilm hasn't announced when Ashoka season 2 filming will begin, but rumors claim the series could start production in April 2025. Ahsoka season 1 showrunner and writer Dave Filoni is returning in the same capacity for the show's second season.
While some fans proposed other names like Liev Schreiber to replace Stevenson as Baylan Skoll, reactions to McCann taking over the role have been largely positive. Reddit user National_Inside7801 said McCann was the "perfect choice" to replace Stevenson but expressed that they would have preferred to see the Baylan Skoll character retired and his storyline inherited by Sakhno's Shin Hati, which some fans viewed as the better option following Stevenson's death. However, others argued that Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati are clearly on different paths and that it would be wrong to retool the latter's storyline. "Baylan, Ahsoka, and Shin are very clearly intended to represent the Father, the Daughter, and the Son respectively," wrote ky_eeeee. "Shin can't believably fulfill the role Baylan was going to play in the story, and you need both of them to make the trifecta work."
In addition to his role as The Hound in Game of Thrones, McCann's work on Gladiator 2, xXx: Return of Xander Cage, Jumanji: The Next Level, and the Sonic the Hedgehog spinoff series Knuckles has given him a wealth of experience in high-profile projects with special effects and action scenes. Still, Stevenson's work in Ahsoka and other projects was acclaimed, so McCann has big shoes to fill. Based on the responses to his casting, fans believe McCann (a friend of Stevenson) is more than capable of doing Baylan Skoll and Stevenson justice.
Ahsoka season 2 is in development at Lucasfilm.
Ahsoka
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- August 22, 2023
WHERE TO WATCH
Rosario Dawson stars as Ahsoka Tano in this Disney Plus Star Wars series that brings some of the franchise's most beloved characters from the animated world into live-action. The series, created by Dave Filoni, also stars Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla, and the late Ray Stevenson as Baylan Skoll.
- Cast
- Rosario Dawson, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Ray Stevenson, Ivanna Sakhno, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Diana Lee Inosanto, David Tennant, Eman Esfandi, Paul Darnell, Nican Robinson, LeeAnna Vamp, Shakira Barrera, Mark Rolston, Clancy Brown, Matthew Law, Bonnie Wild, Kat Kuei Chen, P.J. Johal, Helen Sadler, David W. Collins, Michele Weaver, Barry Lowin, Peter Jacobson, Shelby Young, Ariana Greenblatt
- Showrunner
- Dave Filoni
- Directors
- Steph Green, Jennifer Getzinger, Peter Ramsey, Rick Famuyiwa
- Writers
- Dave Filoni
- Franchise(s)
- Star Wars
- Streaming Service(s)
- Disney+
- Creator(s)
- Dave Filoni
Skeleton Crew Episode 5 Is A Taste of What's To Come in Thunderbolts*
Jake Schreier's Skeleton Crew episode may provide clues as to how his upcoming Marvel project will play out.
Source: The InSneider