The galaxy far, far away is welcoming a familiar face in a brand-new role. As Ahsoka prepares for its second season, a major character is being recast, bringing a well-known actor into the Star Wars universe.
Ahsoka, which debuted on Disney+ on August 22, 2023, follows Rosario Dawson’s titular character as she traverses a fragile New Republic still reeling from the Galactic Civil War. Set around 9 ABY, the story interweaves the aftermath of Star Wars: Episode VI–Return of the Jedi (1983) with threads from The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, and fellow live-action series like The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett.
Joining Dawson in the ensemble are Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla, Eman Esfandi as Ezra Bridger, Lars Mikkelsen returning as Grand Admiral Thrawn, and Ivanna Sakhno as Shin Hati. Diana Lee Inosanto also reprised her role as Morgan Elsbeth, while Ray Stevenson’s Baylan Skoll stood out as a philosophical warrior with ambiguous motives.
The Season 1 finale, titled “Part Eight: The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord,” left several characters on uncertain paths. Ahsoka and Sabine remained stranded on the distant world of Peridea, as did Shin Hati and Baylan, the latter seen standing before ancient statues of the Mortis gods. Meanwhile, Ezra Bridger made his way back to the galaxy to reunite with Hera Syndulla.
Not only did the finale of Ahsoka leave many questions unanswered, but the shocking passing of Ray Stevenson before the series aired left many reeling. His replacement was announced earlier this year.
Scottish actor Rory McCann, known to millions as The Hound on Game of Thrones, will officially take over the role of Baylan Skoll. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed the casting, stating: “Scottish actor Rory McCann, best known for playing the burly brute The Hound on HBO’s Game of Thrones, will replace late actor Ray Stevenson for a second season of Star Wars show Ahsoka, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.”
Stevenson, who passed away unexpectedly in 2023 just before his 59th birthday, had delivered a powerful performance as the enigmatic mercenary in Ahsoka’s first season. Known for roles in Rome and the Thor films, Stevenson died while filming Cassino in Ischia and had reportedly been hospitalized for heart issues during production. While Dominic Purcell stepped in for him on that project, Lucasfilm’s plans for Baylan Skoll initially remained uncertain.
At Star Wars Celebration 2025 in Tokyo, Japan, the first look of Rory McCann as Baylan Skoll was shared with audiences; Brandon Davis (@BrandonDavisBD) posted the images on X (formerly Twitter), along with Dave Filoni’s sentiments about recasting the part.
Dave Filoni spoke to Ray Stevenson’s family about continuing with Baylon Skoll.
“I’m very confident now that Ray would be happy with the direction we’ve chosen,” Filoni said. “The character was meant to be important. He’s meant to be the parallel to Ahsoka in every way.”
Rory McCann is taking over the role.
“His whole focus is not letting Ray down and not letting you guys down,” Filoni said. “The Force is with him.”
Dave Filoni spoke to Ray Stevenson’s family about continuing with Baylon Skoll.
“I’m very confident now that Ray would be happy with the direction we’ve chosen,” Filoni said. “The character was meant to be important. He’s meant to be the parallel to Ahsoka in every way.”
Rory… pic.twitter.com/jPab7Pl345
— Brandon Davis (@BrandonDavisBD) April 19, 2025
During Star Wars Celebration, more information emerged about the production of Ahsoka Season 2. Filming will begin next week, and the second season will have eight episodes; Dave Filoni wrote all of them. This echoes earlier reports that he’s constructing the season with a definitive ending in case future episodes don’t materialize—something that happened last year following the dramatic cancellation of Leslye Headland’s The Acolyte.
“According to [Daniel Richtman], the plan now is to make sure the series has a satisfying ending in case it’s canceled and doesn’t return for a third season,” it was reported in late 2024. “We hadn’t expected Filoni to tell this story beyond a couple of seasons, anyway, but Disney+ could always push for more episodes if Ahsoka is a big enough hit.”
At the panel, Lucasfilm shared a teaser for the sophomore outing in the style of Star Wars: Episode V–The Empire Strikes Back (1980) which confirmed a few things, including Ahsoka and Sabine Wren’s race against time to stop Baylan Skoll from unleashing something sinister on Peridea, and Hera and Ezra’s attempt to block Grand Admiral Thrawn’s attack on the galaxy.
It was also revealed that Hayden Christensen, who played Anakin Skywalker in the prequel era movies, will be returning to the small screen for Ahsoka Season 2. The actor appeared as his Clone Wars era Anakin (“Skyguy”) in the first season of Ahsoka, where he came face to face with his former apprentice in the World Between Worlds.
While fans speculated whether these stories would be resolved in other Star Wars projects, including the upcoming New Republic crossover film announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023, the future of Ahsoka was anything but clear. Then came a surprise update: not only was Ahsoka Season 2 confirmed to be in development, but the announcement coincided with news that The Mandalorian and Grogu feature film from Jon Favreau would hit theaters in May 2026.
But the New Republic crossover movie is not a non-starter. Confirmed to still be in production earlier this week, Filoni discussed his upcoming feature film at Star Wars Celebration. The Lucasfilm Chief Creative Officer told Collider that the film is “a long development.”
“You keep that in your mind in the future while you’re working on the present. So, right now, I’ll be on Season 2 [of Ahsoka], and as those stories develop, it might change things that would affect what’s happening in the future and what I would do,” Filoni explained. “At times, it’s a balancing act, but I’m constantly working at it, working out scenes. I know several scenes and where they would go, so you just kind of plug it in as you go.”
With the pieces now moving toward a climactic second season, fans are watching closely to see how the saga continues—and how McCann’s interpretation of Baylan Skoll shapes the next chapter.
This year’s Star Wars Celebration has been a hive of announcements, including the confirmation that Shawn Levy’s movie—a standalone called Star Wars: Starfighter (2027)—is heading into production with Ryan Gosling. Also, fan-favorite character Maul will be returning in an all-new animated series called Star Wars: Maul–Shadow Lord.
How do you feel about this new face entering the Star Wars galaxy? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!
The post Main ‘Ahsoka’ Actor Recast, ‘Star Wars’ Gives Official First Look as Dave Filoni Explains appeared first on Inside the Magic.
