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

The Star Wars Celebration has unveiled our first glimpse of Rory McCann stepping into the role of Baylan Skoll for Season 2 of Ahsoka, succeeding the late Ray Stevenson. McCann, known for his role in Game of Thrones, takes on the mantle following Stevenson's untimely passing due to a brief illness just three months before Ahsoka's premiere.

While we haven't seen McCann portray Baylan yet, the Ahsoka panel at Star Wars Celebration provided fans with an exclusive first-look image, shown below.

Ray Stevenson, celebrated for his roles in Thor, RRR, Punisher: War Zone, Rome, and more, left an indelible mark with his portrayal of Baylan Skoll, which many consider the highlight of the series so far. Ahsoka series creator Dave Filoni expressed the profound impact of losing Stevenson, describing him as "the most beautiful person on screen and off," and highlighted the challenge this posed for Season 2's development.

During the panel, Filoni and the team also teased what fans can anticipate in Season 2, including the return of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker, alongside characters like Admiral Ackbar, Zeb, Chopper, and others.

In our review of Ahsoka's first season, we noted that the show "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 room to breathe, Ahsoka strikes a wonderful balance of rich lore, humor, and epic battles that resonate with classic Star Wars while paving the way for something fresh and new."

For more insights, take a look at where Ahsoka stands on our list of the best Star Wars Disney+ live-action TV shows, and don't miss our breakdown of the Season 1 finale of Ahsoka.