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Star Wars has been going on long enough that the franchise has had to navigate the awkward territory of actor deaths before. When Ray Stevenson passed away following a short illness a few months before the premiere of Ahsoka, it presented a challenge to the producers when it came time for the second season of the Disney+ show. Rather than rewriting the upcoming season with a new villain, their solution appears to be to recast the role of Baylan Skoll for season two of Ahsoka, with Rory McCann taking on the role from Ray Stevenson.

Rory McCann is perhaps best known for playing The Hound in Game of Thrones, though the large and intimidating man has been a staple of film and television for years. The news that he was replacing Stevenson as Baylan Skoll in Ahsoka comes as the second season still doesn’t have a release date or even a date when it is expected to start filming. However, the casting news could signal that production is ready to start ramping up. 

While McCann has proven to be a solid actor over the years, with both comedic and action chops to back up his impressive size, he has a lot to live up to in the role of Baylan Skoll. Stevenson’s portrayal of the villain earned him significant praise from fans and critics. He brought a careful mixture of sadness, humor, and physicality to the role that made Baylan Skoll a fan favorite in the Star Wars community.

Ahsoka season one is streaming on Disney+. A second season is in development but a release date hasn’t been announced yet.

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