Late ‘Star Wars’ Actor Ray Stevenson To Be Replaced In ‘Ahsoka’

Followers beloved Ray Stevenson and his function as Baylan Skoll within the “Star Wars” collection “Ahsoka,” which is why Lucasfilm has made the tough resolution to switch the actor forward of season 2.

After starring in quite a few TV exhibits and flicks, the actor handed away in Might 2023 after a quick sickness.

In Might 2023, Ray Stevenson handed away from a quick sickness at solely 58 years outdated.

The “Vikings” star beforehand voiced the “Star Wars” character Gar Saxon within the animated collection “Star Wars Rebels” and reprised his function in “The Clone Wars.”

He additionally performed Volstagg in Marvel’s “Thor” movies and Blackbeard within the Starz “Black Sails” pirate collection.

He handed away in Might 2023, just a few months shy of the “Ahsoka” Disney+ premiere in August 2023.

Just one month earlier than his loss of life, the “RRR” actor spoke to Collider at Star Wars Celebration, which was held in London in April 2023. When he was requested which episodes from one by eight he was most excited for followers to see, he jokingly responded, “One by eight.”

“You can not. It’s like separating a household and saying which baby is your favourite baby,” he joked. “It’s an entire journey.” When requested in regards to the scripts that “Ahsoka” creator Dave Filoni created, Stevenson admitted that he wasn’t anticipating the “imaginative and prescient and complexity” that was being given to the collection.

Stevenson teased that there’s a “scale” to “Ahsoka,” including, “I bear in mind strolling on set like, ‘Who designed this?’” The actor, who additionally appeared within the “Divergent” collection, additionally praised the costume design, the meticulous building, and the design of the set, saying that the forged and crew all introduced their “A sport” to the collection.

Months earlier than its launch, Stevenson mentioned that the present would deliver “quite a lot of cliffhangers, surprises, journeys, and surprising occasions and he [Dave Filoni] simply saved it going.” Though he admitted it was “exhausting” filming among the bodily parts of the function, he nonetheless felt that it was a “delight” to be a part of the franchise.

“They’re character-driven fights,” he defined as he praised the stunt coordinators engaged on the collection. He mentioned that the “stakes are excessive” and that these scenes would “actually” hold followers on the sting of their seats.

Though he admitted that he didn’t know what to anticipate from a “Star Wars” present, he was delighted to see showrunner Dave Filoni and the wardrobe workforce incorporating his suggestions after he tried on his costume. He famous that their consideration to element was “breathtaking.”

He praised each Filoni and longtime collaborator Jon Favreau for his or her distinctive potential to deliver out the very best of their actors, calling known as their “humility of greatness” actually “empowering and fantastic and humbling.”

When requested about his ardour for the present, Stevenson went on to say that “there’s a real love there and you’re feeling that now resonated as a tsunami of affection from the followers… that’s from the forged and crew as effectively. We simply wish to give it to an viewers who deserves it and provides them the whole lot they usually facilitate simply deliver your finest to work.”

In January 2024, The Insneider first reported the information that Scottish actor Rory McCann, who’s finest recognized for enjoying The Hound on HBO’s broadly fashionable “Recreation of Thrones” collection, would substitute the late actor within the function of Baylan Skoll within the Disney+ collection “Ahsoka.”

After leaving “Recreation of Thrones,” followers not too long ago noticed McCann in “Gladiator II,” which was launched in late 2024. He additionally starred in “Jumanji: The Subsequent Stage,” “Scorching Fuzz,” “xXx: Return of Xander Cage,” and the latest “Knuckles” present, which is at the moment accessible to stream on Paramount+.

The “Ahsoka” Disney+ collection stars Rosario Dawson because the titular character Ahsoka Tano, who groups up together with her former apprentice, Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), with the intention to cease the Empire. Of their method are Baylan Skoll and his apprentice, Shin Hati, who’s performed by Ivanna Sakhno.

In response to The Hollywood Reporter, it’s unclear when season 2 of “Ahsoka” will start filming or who shall be directing. Dave Filoni will return as showrunner.