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 in Season 2 of Ahsoka. For those new to the series, McCann is replacing the late Ray Stevenson, who tragically passed away before the premiere of Ahsoka's first season. While we're yet to see McCann's performance, the Ahsoka panel at Star Wars Celebration offered a captivating first-look image, which you can view below.

Ray Stevenson, celebrated for his roles in Thor, RRR, Punisher: War Zone, Rome, and more, succumbed to a brief illness just three months before Ahsoka debuted. Many fans and critics alike have hailed Stevenson's portrayal of Baylan as one of the standout elements of the series.

Ahsoka's creator, Dave Filoni, expressed the profound impact of losing Ray, describing it as one of the most significant challenges faced during the development of Season 2. Filoni praised Stevenson as "the most beautiful person on screen and off," highlighting the emotional toll of his absence.

At 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 beloved characters like Admiral Ackbar, Zeb, Chopper, and more. This promises an exciting continuation of the Ahsoka saga.

In our review of Ahsoka's inaugural season, we noted that it "struggles in its early episodes as the series works to familiarize viewers with characters and concepts from Dave Filoni’s animated Star Wars shows. However, once the narrative and cosmic plots are given room to flourish, Ahsoka strikes a brilliant balance of rich lore, humor, and epic battles, evoking the essence of classic Star Wars while paving the way for fresh storytelling."

For a deeper dive, explore where Ahsoka stands on our ranking of the best Star Wars Disney+ live-action TV shows, and don't miss our detailed explanation of the Season 1 finale of Ahsoka.