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*. For those new to the series, McCann is taking on the mantle of Baylan after the unfortunate passing of Ray Stevenson, who originally portrayed the character.

While we haven't seen McCann in action yet, the *Ahsoka* panel at Star Wars Celebration treated fans to an exclusive first-look image, which you can view below.

Ray Stevenson, celebrated for his roles in films like *Thor*, *RRR*, *Punisher: War Zone*, *Rome*, and others, tragically passed away due to a brief illness just three months before *Ahsoka*'s premiere. Many fans and critics alike felt that Stevenson's portrayal of Baylan was a standout highlight of the series so far.

Ahsoka's series creator, Dave Filoni, shared that losing Ray was one of the most significant challenges faced during the development of Season 2, especially considering he was "the most beautiful person on screen and off."

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

In our review of *Ahsoka*'s first season, we noted that the series "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 the time to shine, *Ahsoka* finds a wonderful mix of rich lore, humor, and epic battles that capture the essence of classic Star Wars while paving the way for something fresh and new."

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