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*. This follows the tragic passing of Ray Stevenson, who originally portrayed Baylan. While we're yet to see McCann's performance, the Ahsoka panel at Star Wars Celebration provided an exciting first-look image, which you can view below.

Ray Stevenson, known for his roles in *Thor*, *RRR*, *Punisher: War Zone*, *Rome*, and more, sadly passed away due to a brief illness just three months before *Ahsoka*'s premiere. Stevenson's portrayal of Baylan was hailed as a standout feature of the series, resonating deeply with fans.

Ahsoka's creator, Dave Filoni, expressed the profound challenge of losing Ray Stevenson, describing him as "the most beautiful person on screen and off." Despite this loss, Filoni and the team are moving forward with Season 2, sharing more about what fans can expect. This includes 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 it "struggles in its early episodes as the series works to get viewers up to speed on characters and concepts introduced in Dave Filoni’s animated Star Wars shows. But once the actors and cosmic plots are really given time to shine, *Ahsoka* finds a wonderful mix of rich lore, humor, and big battles that make it feel like classic Star Wars while also forging a path to something new."

For more insights, check out where *Ahsoka* ranks on our list of the best Star Wars Disney+ live-action TV shows and our detailed explainer of the Season 1 finale of *Ahsoka*.