Star Wars: Ahsoka has kind of a lot of villains, and at least one who may or may not actually be that villainous. There’s Grand Admiral Thrawn, a favorite from the Star Wars books and animated series; Morgan Elsbeth, who first appeared on The Mandalorian; and the ominously named Baylan Skoll, who (along with his sidekick/apprentice Shin Hati) teamed up with Elsbeth to seek out the long-missing Thrawn—and get in the way of Ahsoka and Sabine’s quest to find the equally long-missing Ezra Bridger.
Skoll was one of the show’s more intriguing new additions to the Star Wars universe, and his true intentions and plans were not made clear in the first season. Sadly, the actor who played him, Ray Stevenson, died shortly before the series premiered, which gave his entire first-season arc an especially bittersweet feel.
But Skoll’s story isn’t over. The Hollywood Reporter has the news that the role has been recast; whenever Ahsoka returns, the mysterious former Jedi will be played by Rory McCann, who is best known as the Hound from Game of Thrones.
McCann is even taller than Stevenson, and a formidable presence in a different sort of way. He recently appeared in Gladiator II, and has also been in everything from xXx: Return of Xander Cage to the Sonic the Hedgehog series Knuckles.
No announcements have been made as to when Ahsoka will begin filming season two, let alone when we might hope to see it. But this casting news might—if we are being optimistic—be a sign that shooting starts sooner than later.
Season one of Star Wars: Ahsoka is available on Disney+.
