When actor Ray Stevenson passed in 2023, it was before the full scope of his new Star Wars character had been explored. Now, with season two of Ahsoka getting ready to roll, creator Dave Filoni and Lucasfilm may have found the man who’ll be stepping into Baylan Skoll’s sinister shoes.
Rory McCann, best known to audiences as the Hound on Game of Thrones, will reportedly be taking over the role of Baylan Skoll on Star Wars: Ahsoka when it returns to Disney+, possibly in 2026. The InSneider first reported the news and io9 has reached out to Lucasfilm for confirmation. It has yet to respond as of publication and we’ll update this post if or when we hear back.
When audiences last saw Skoll, he was stranded on the planet Peridea (along with Ahsoka, Sabine, and his former apprentice Shin Hati) on a quest to explore some deep mysteries in the Force. It was clear that Filoni had much more in store for the evil former Jedi. However, when Stevenson passed, audiences debated whether or not the show should continue that story. It seems though that Stevenson’s family has approved the casting, according to the initial report.
As for McCann, though he’s best known for his friend-of-Arya, kind-of-a-hero character on Game of Thrones, you may also know him as a General in Gladiator II and for playing Lurch in Hot Fuzz (the “Yarp” guy). He’s an imposing physical presence with a lot of powerful personality. A great choice.
There’s no official work on when Ahsoka will be returning, only that Filoni has been hard at work writing it. As it stands, it might be the next Star Wars show to arrive on Disney+ after Andor.
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