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 untimely passing of Ray Stevenson, who originally portrayed the character.
While we're yet to see McCann in action, the *Ahsoka* panel at Star Wars Celebration provided a first-look image, which you can view below.
Ray Stevenson, known 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 consider Stevenson's portrayal of Baylan to be one of the series' standout performances.
*Ahsoka* series creator Dave Filoni expressed that losing Ray was one of the most significant challenges faced during the development of Season 2, emphasizing that Stevenson was "the most beautiful person on screen and off."
During the panel, Filoni and the team also shared insights into what fans can anticipate in Season 2. Notably, Hayden Christensen will reprise his role as Anakin Skywalker, joined by characters such as 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 spotlight, *Ahsoka* finds a wonderful blend of rich lore, humor, and epic battles that evoke the essence of classic Star Wars while also paving the way for something fresh and exciting."
For more insights, check out 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*.
