Scottish actor Rory McCann, best known for playing the burly brute The Hound on HBO’s Game of Thrones, will replace late actor Ray Stevenson for a second season of Star Wars show Ahsoka, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
Stevenson played the hulking former Jedi known as Baylan Skoll in the Disney+ series. He passed away after a brief illness in May 2023, three months before the series premiered in August 2023. The actor was a fan favorite, thanks to his resonate voice, humor and roles in Punisher: War Zone, the Thor movies and TV’s Rome.
Ahsoka stars Rosario Dawson as another former Jedi, the titular Ahsoka Tano, who teams with a former apprentice in order to stop the evil Empire from re-forming. Two obstacles in her path were Skoll and his apprentice, Shin Hati, played by Ivanna Sakhno.
It is unclear when the new season is to begin shooting or who will be directing. Dave Filoni was the showrunner of season one, and is returning in the same capacity.
McCann was recently was on the big screen in Gladiator II. His other credits include Edgar Wright’s Hot Fuzz, xXx: Return of Xander Cage, Jumanji: The Next Level, the recent Knuckles show for Paramount+, and the animated series Transformers: EarthSpark. He is repped by Emptage Hallett and Monster Voice.
The Insneider first reported the news.