Rory McCann Debuts as Baylan Skoll in Ahsoka at Star Wars Celebration

Star Wars Celebration has unveiled our first glimpse of Rory McCann stepping into the role of Baylan Skoll for Season 2 of Ahsoka. McCann takes on the character following the untimely passing of Ray Stevenson, who originally portrayed Baylan. Although we haven't seen McCann in action yet, the Ahsoka panel at Star Wars Celebration provided a first-look image, which you can view below.

Ray Stevenson, known for his roles in Thor, RRR, Punisher: War Zone, Rome, and more, tragically passed away from a brief illness just three months before Ahsoka's premiere. Many fans and critics alike consider Stevenson's performance as Baylan to be a highlight of the series so far.

Ahsoka series creator Dave Filoni expressed that losing Ray was one of the most significant challenges faced during the development of Season 2, emphasizing that Stevenson was "the most beautiful person on screen and off."

During the panel, Filoni and the team also shared insights into what fans can anticipate in Season 2. Notably, Hayden Christensen will reprise his role as Anakin Skywalker, joined by characters such as Admiral Ackbar, Zeb, Chopper, and more.

In our review of Ahsoka's first season, we noted that the series "struggles in its early episodes as it works to bring viewers up to speed on characters and concepts introduced in Dave Filoni’s animated Star Wars shows. However, once the actors and cosmic plots are given the spotlight, Ahsoka strikes a wonderful balance of rich lore, humor, and epic battles, evoking the essence of classic Star Wars while paving the way for something fresh and new."

For more insights, explore where Ahsoka stands on our list of the best Star Wars Disney+ live-action TV shows, and delve into our detailed explainer of the Season 1 finale of Ahsoka.