Summary
AStar Warsseries has recast a fan-favorite character for its upcoming season, and the new actor chosen is a recognizable face forGame of Thronesfans.
Star Wars:Ahsokafeatured 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 beforeAhsokapremiered on Disney Plus. Because the first season concluded will multiple cliffhangers, the series creators had to decide how to resolveBaylan Skoll’s storyline inAhsokaseason 2, with recasting the role being the most likely course of action.
Now,Jeff Sneiderreports thatGame of Thronesactor Rory McCann will take over the role of Baylan Skoll inAhsokaseason 2(confirmed byThe Hollywood Reporter). McCann is perhaps best known for playing fan-favorite character Sandor Clegane, a.k.a. The Hound, for all 8 seasons ofGame of Thrones. Lucasfilm hasn’t announcedwhenAshokaseason 2 filming will begin, but rumors claim the series could start production in April 2025.Ahsokaseason 1 showrunner and writer Dave Filoni is returning in the same capacity for the show’s second season.
While some fans proposed other names likeLiev Schreiber to replace Stevenson as Baylan Skoll, reactions to McCann taking over the role have been largely positive. Reddit userNational_Inside7801said 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,” wroteky_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 asThe Hound inGame of Thrones, McCann’s work onGladiator 2,xXx: Return of Xander Cage,Jumanji: The Next Level, and theSonic the Hedgehogspinoff seriesKnuckleshas given him a wealth of experience in high-profile projects with special effects and action scenes. Still, Stevenson’s work inAhsokaand 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.
Ahsokaseason 2 is in development at Lucasfilm.
Ahsoka
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.
