The intriguing and multifaceted Baylan Skoll, the new Dark Jedi, was by far the strongest aspect of Star Wars: Ahsoka. By the end of Season 1, his motivations and galactic alignment were still unknown.
Ray Stevenson (Rome), who tragically died before the show debuted on Disney+, played Skoll with a bleak stoicism. He was only fifty-eight. Since then, everyone has been wondering who would take over for this amazing actor who so brilliantly portrayed one of the greatest Star Wars characters from the Disney era.
Vincent Regan, who most recently portrayed Ser Rickard Thorne in HBO’s second season of House of the Dragon, was my “dream casting”:I guess it’s a little odd that Disney and Lucasfilm have chosen to replace Stevenson with another actor who is well-known for his time in Westeros. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Rory McCann will play Baylan Skoll in Season 2. His outstanding performance as Ser Sandor “The Hound” Clegane in Game of Thrones is what made McCann most famous.
Although I think it will still be a bit startling to have someone so different fill Stevenson’s very big shoes, McCann is undoubtedly the right size and can carry off the grim manner for the part. Since McCann is naturally considerably taller than Stevenson, he will be an even more formidable presence in Ahsoka, where the majority of the actors are much shorter.
Ray Mccann Replaces Ray Stevenson
This is a powerful recast and a much better choice than eliminating or merely eradicating Skoll. I will gladly watch Season 2 of Ahsoka only to see what this character is up to, even though the show wasn’t that good overall. Ultimately, my thoughts on the Dave Filoni-produced series were somewhat conflicted. Hopefully, the second season’s writing will be better. Not even a release date has been announced, let alone when filming will start.
Skeleton Crew is the current Star Wars series available on Disney+, and I’ve been really loving it. Jude Law plays a great role in this film, which combines elements of Treasure Island, Star Wars, and The Goonies.
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After actor Ray Stevenson passed away, Disney recast the part of the beloved Star Wars character Baylen Skoll in Ahsoka Season 2 to Rory McCann from Game of Thrones’ The Hound.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, rather than ending Skoll’s story after Stevenson’s death in 2023, Disney is choosing to carry on with it in Ahsoka Season 2 and possibly beyond.
Three months prior to the release of Ahsoka Episode 1, the well-known actor, who also starred in Thor, RRR, and Punisher: War Zone, passed away after a brief illness. Many people thought his performance as Skoll was the best of the first season.
Disney revealed that it is developing Season 2 of the series, which is expected to lead into a Star Wars movie directed by Dave Filoni, the chief creative officer of Lucasfilm. The movie will follow The Mandalorian and its sequel.
Filoni appears to have great ideas for the character that needed to be recast, as Skoll’s plot was left open at the end of Ahsoka Season 1. Thus, starting with Ahsoka Season 2, McCann, who is most known for his role as The Hound in Game of Thrones but has also been in Knuckles, Hot Fuzz, and other films, will take over.
Fans of Star Wars: Rebels, in particular, may have enjoyed the first season more than others. In our 8/10 review, IGN stated that “Ahsoka starts off rocky before soaring into the weirdest corners of Star Wars lore.”
Rory Mccann to Play Baylan Skoll in Ahsoka Season 2
It is important to note that Disney has not yet formally acknowledged this news, so for the time being, it should be regarded with caution. However, given Sneider’s solid record, I lean toward thinking this is most likely the case.
From my vantage point, this is fantastic news. Baylan Skoll was standing atop a massive statue on Peridea when we last saw him. We don’t know what he wants, but it seems different from what Grand Admiral Thrawn or former Jedi Ahsoka Tano would want. I’m happy that the program will be pursuing its plans for the character, which seemed to be fairly obvious.
Regarding the recast itself, I believe this is a fantastic fit since McCann is, of course, a fantastic performer. Although he has big shoes to fill—Ray Stevenson was one of those exceptional performers who made every production he worked on seem better—I am confident that McCann can handle the challenge. In addition to the menace he is so adept at summoning, he will need to bring the quiet gentleness that Stevenson embodied as Skoll despite his horrible deeds.
I would estimate that McCann will play Baylan Skoll on film sometime in 2026. Filming for Ahsoka season two is expected to begin this spring. After that, there will be post-production, which will take some time.
So next year is the earliest we can hope to see the Hound wield a red lightsaber.
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Shubhangi Gupta is a distinguished content writer and the visionary founder of The Unpleasant – Acha Nahi Sabse Sacha. With a Master’s degree in Commerce from University of Lucknow, Shubhangi has seamlessly blended her academic background with her passion for reading and writing, embarking on a successful career as a content writer since 2019.
