The Hound is coming to the galaxy far, far away. Jeff Sneider of The Insneider first broke the news (since confirmed elsewhere) that Lucasfilm has tapped Game of Thrones‘ alum Rory McCann to replace the late Ray Stevenson as Baylan Skoll on Ahsoka.
The great Ray Stevenson passed away unexpectedly after a very brief illness in May of 2023. That was just three months before Ahsoka debuted on Disney+. The beloved veteran actor had starred in countless films and television shows before joining Star Wars. Some of his notable projects included Rome, The Other Guys, Vikings, Punisher: War Zone, and the Thor films. But he more than made his mark in the galaxy far, far awar as former Jedi Baylan Skoll on Ahsoka.
The first season ended with Skoll on the verge of completing a meaningful personal journey. His trip across the universe had huge implications for the Force itself. With Stevenson’s death it was unclear how showrunner Dave Filono would conclude Skolls’ story. Now, rather than write the character out of its story, Lucasfilm has opted to recast the part. And they’ve found someone with the presence both in spirit and in stature, to match Stevenson’s.
Rory McCann, best known for playing Sandor Clegane on Game of Thrones, will take over as Baylan Skoll when the show eventually returns for its second season. McCann’s past works include Hot Fuzz, Clash of the Titans, Jumanji: The Next Level, and as the voice of Megatron in Transformers: EarthSpark. In 2024 he also appeared in Gladiator II and Knuckles.
While he’s certainly a fantastic choice for the sad, stoic, determined Skoll, McCann has some big shoes to fill. Stevenson delivered one of the best, most complex Star Wars characters in years with a beautiful and moving performance. If McCann can capture even some of what we loved about Baylan Skoll during Ahsoka‘s first season he will truly be honoring Ray Stevenson.
