The untimely death of Ray Stevenson at the age of 58 poses a problem for the future of the character of Baylan Skoll. However, it is certain that this fallen Jedi will return. It now remains to be seen how. Lucasfilm doesn’t seem to have decided yet.
How to subscribe to Disney+ to watch Star Wars series
Disney+ is available in France:
What will happen to Baylan Skoll’s character in Ahsoka ? Fifty days after the broadcast of the last episode of the first season, the question is still relevant. Indeed, Lucasfilm is faced with an unusual problem: Ray Stevenson, the British actor who played Baylan, died on May 21, 2023, after filming season one.
The problem is that everything suggests that there will be a season two Ahsoka, even if nothing has been made official yet. In addition, it is planned in the longer term to finish the mandoverse arc with a global film, also bringing together the intrigues of the Book of Boba Fett and of The Mandalorian. So many options in which Baylan Skoll could have appeared.
“ It’s obvious there’s a story to tell »
Given how the first season concluded, Baylan Skoll’s story arc is clearly not over. This is precisely the dilemma facing the production company as well as Dave Filoni, the showrunner of the series and, more recently, creative director for Star Wars. He acknowledged the difficulty to Vanity Fair on November 21.
“ We are waiting for now “, explained the person concerned. If we do not yet know which option will be chosen for the sequel, Dave Filoni confirmed that this character’s journey is not over: “ It’s obvious there’s a story to tell “. Ray Stevenson made an excellent impression in this role, with a performance that was widely praised and appreciated.
Three options can be identified:
- The use of unused shots during season one, mobilizing them in another context, which will require script modifications so that the locations, dialogues, situations match the progress of the story;
- The use of AI to put Ray Stevenson’s face on another actor, who would play in his place (deepfake). This process has already been used in Star Wars to represent certain characters: Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa or even Grand Moff Tarkin;
- Assign the role to a new actor. An option which depends on the weight of the character and the aura of the actor. In the Marvel saga, it is easier to replace Terrence Howard with Don Cheadle (War Machine / James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes), because he is secondary, than to find a successor to Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther).
Lucasfilm will have to decide. Dave Filoni knows it and won’t cut it. Until then, the boss of Star Wars has one regret: that Ray Stevenson was not able to see the reception given by the fans to Baylan Skoll. “ I think he would have been over the moon. The great regret is that he did not have the opportunity to live this experience. [Les fans] have been nothing but wonderful about Ray and the character. »
Subscribe to Numerama on Google News so you don’t miss any news!
Some links in this article are affiliated. We’ll explaine everything here.