Rory McCann Joins ‘Ahsoka’ Season 2, Taking Over for the Late Ray Stevenson

A year ago, Lucasfilm announced that ‘Ahsoka’ Season 2 was in development. Dave Filoni, who wrote the first season, spoke about the show’s future and the impact of Ray Stevenson’s passing, as Stevenson was meant to play a key role in the story.

In the final episode of Season 1, Stevenson’s character, Baylan Skoll, didn’t reveal his true intentions. Instead, he was shown looking at the statues of the Mortis Gods on Peridea, hinting at his mysterious plans. Filoni described Baylan as a man with dangerous ambition.

Ray Stevenson passed away on May 21, 2023, just four days before his 59th birthday. The cause of death hasn’t been disclosed, but reports mentioned he was hospitalized during the filming of ‘Cassino in Ischia’ on the Italian island of Ischia.

For months, there were rumors that Stevenson’s character would need to be recast, and now, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that Rory McCann will take over the role.

Rory McCann, a Scottish actor, is best known for playing Sandor “The Hound” Clegane in ‘Game of Thrones.’ He also appeared as Michael “Lurch” Armstrong in ‘Hot Fuzz’ (2007), Jurgen the Brutal in ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’ (2019), and voiced Megatron in ‘Transformers: EarthSpark.’

There’s no word yet on when Season 2 will start filming or who will direct it, but Dave Filoni is set to return as showrunner.

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