"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 role following the untimely passing of Ray Stevenson, who originally portrayed Baylan.

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

Ray Stevenson, beloved for his roles in *Thor*, *RRR*, *Punisher: War Zone*, *Rome*, and more, tragically passed away from 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 performance in the series.

Ahsoka series creator Dave Filoni expressed that losing Ray was one of the greatest challenges faced during the development of Season 2, describing him as "the most beautiful person on screen and off."

During the panel, Filoni and the team offered insights into what fans can anticipate in Season 2. Notable returns include Hayden Christensen reprising his role as Anakin Skywalker, along with fan-favorite characters like Admiral Ackbar, Zeb, Chopper, and others.

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 from Dave Filoni’s animated Star Wars shows. However, once the actors and cosmic plots are given room to shine, *Ahsoka* strikes a wonderful balance of rich lore, humor, and epic battles, feeling like classic Star Wars while also paving the way for something fresh and new."

For more on *Ahsoka*, check out where it 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.