Description: Rory McCann is taking over Baylan Skoll from the late Ray Stevenson. Here's what Lucasfilm confirmed, why the recast matters beyond appearance, and what to watch when Ahsoka returns in January 2027.
Answer: Rory McCann will play Baylan Skoll in Ahsoka Season 2. Lucasfilm confirmed the casting on May 12, 2026, and announced an official Disney+ premiere date of January 20, 2027, on August 15. Baylan's story will continue, but whether McCann can preserve the unsettling calm that defined Ray Stevenson's performance is a question for the episodes themselves. [1][2]
Why fans are talking about more than a new face
Mild Season 1 finale spoilers follow. Baylan is a former Jedi whose motives don't fit neatly into the usual light-versus-dark division. He fights Ahsoka, mentors Shin Hati, and seems drawn toward something older and stranger than the immediate struggle against Grand Admiral Thrawn. On Peridea, his final scenes point toward an unresolved mystery. Season 2 inherited a character who was only beginning to reveal his purpose.
Stevenson died in May 2023. His measured delivery, physical presence, and almost weary certainty made Baylan compelling even when the script withheld answers. In an August 19, 2026 discussion on r/StarWarsAhsoka, one viewer described rewatching Season 1 after seeing the new teaser and missing Stevenson's performance. Other replies expressed hope for McCann. That's evidence of a real conversation, not a poll of the fandom. [3]
What Lucasfilm has actually announced
The May 12 announcement explicitly named McCann as the actor continuing Baylan's journey, alongside Ivanna Sakhno returning as Shin. The August 15 update gave the premiere date and showed that Dave Filoni's next chapter also involves Ahsoka, Sabine, Ezra, Anakin, and Thrawn. It did not provide a scene-by-scene account of how the recast will be handled. [1][2]
A confirmed casting decision answers whether the story is abandoning Baylan. It doesn't answer whether the new performance will feel identical, or how much screen time his mystery receives. Those are different questions, and promotional footage can only answer so much.
Three things worth watching in Season 2
First, listen to how Baylan speaks to Shin: the mentor-student tension matters more than a perfect vocal imitation. Second, watch the pauses before he draws his lightsaber. Stevenson's stillness often made a threat feel heavier than shouting would have. Third, see whether the mystery on Peridea drives Baylan's own choices rather than turning him into a walking explanation of ancient lore.
My reading is that a faithful recast needn't be an impersonation. McCann's real test is whether Baylan still feels like a man pursuing a conviction the audience doesn't yet fully understand. An actor can carry a character's inner logic without copying every gesture.
The answer: continuity has been promised; chemistry must be earned
Baylan is returning on January 20, 2027, with a new performer and an unfinished mission. The most meaningful tribute to Stevenson may be to give that mission a worthy payoff. Baylan ended Season 1 staring into the distance; now the audience is looking in the same direction.
Sources (checked October 22, 2026): [1] StarWars.com, May 12, 2026: casting confirmation · [2] StarWars.com, August 15, 2026: premiere and teaser · [3] Reddit r/StarWarsAhsoka, August 19, 2026: fan discussion
