Summary
Dave Filoni, the new Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm has spoken on the fate of character Baylan Skoll in theStar WarsAhsokaseries after actor Ray Stevenson’s untimely death. Since his passing, Stevenson has been praised for a highly nuanced portrayal of Baylan, and now fans wonder what will come of the character.
Stevenson’sStar Warsjourney began with a voice acting role as Gar Saxon in the third season ofStar Wars Rebels,and again in theStar Wars: The Clone Warsrevival. To fans' excitement, the actor returned toStar Warsfor his live-action role as Baylan. Unfortunately, Stevenson passed away at only 58, before the premiere ofAhsoka, and wasn’t around to witness Baylan become the clear fan favorite.
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During an interview withVanity Fair, the Lucasfilm CCO andAhsokashowrunner also admitted that Baylan’s journey is incomplete. Although he isn’t entirely sure what the future holds for the much-loved character, he recognizes the need to complete the former Jedi’s arc. “Obviously, there’s a story there. We’re in a wait-and-see pattern at this point," Filoni conceded, “but I’m glad the conversation is about Ray and how great he was.” Filoni regrets that Stevenson didn’t get to share in the excitement, but theAhsokacreators paid tribute to the late actorwith a dedication at the end of the first episode, which read, “For Our Friend Ray.”
According to Filoni, Baylan’s complexity may be because Stevenson did not view his character as a villain. “I used to have mini-debates with him and say, ‘Ray, you’re the villain here,’” Filoni told Vanity Fair, “and he’d be like, ‘I don’t think so.’” Filoni added that he loved Stevenson’s thinking and has previously indicated thatBaylan Skoll’s orange lightsaber reflects his dualityof light and dark.
No details have emerged yet regarding whether the roll of Baylan will be recast or written around. Even the series' fate remains a question mark after Stevenson’s passing and strike-related setbacks, although signs still point to Lucasfilm continuing the story in one form or another.Ahsokastar Rosario Dawsonhas suggested that a film and a second season are within the realm of possibility. According to Dawson, Filoni may already be working on an outline.
Ahsokaseason 1 is streaming on Disney Plus.
Ahsoka
Rosario Dawson stars as Ahsoka Tano in this Disney Plus Star Wars series that brings some of the franchise’s most beloved characters from the animated world into live-action. The series, created by Dave Filoni, also stars Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla, and the late Ray Stevenson as Baylan Skoll.
