Star Wars boss Dave Filoni has addressed the fate of Ahsoka's Jedi-turned-bad Baylan Skoll after the death of actor Ray Stevenson earlier this year. The actor was 58 when he passed away this past May.
"Obviously, there’s a story there," Filoni told Vanity Fair when asked about Baylan's future. "We’re in a wait-and-see pattern at this point. But I’m glad the conversation is about Ray and how great he was… I used to have mini debates with him and say, 'Ray, you’re the villain here.' And he’d be like, 'I don’t think so.' I was like, 'I know you don’t think so, but you are. I love that you’re playing it like you’re not.' Which is exactly the way Baylan thinks."
With Ahsoka season 2 almost definitely on the horizon, it does beg the question as to how his absence will be explained – and whether Lucasfilm will follow in their own footsteps and resort to archive footage and CGI, as they did for the late Carrie Fisher in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Baylan, one of the main antagonists of the Disney Plus show, was a fan favorite. "I think he would’ve been over the moon. The big regret here is that he didn’t get to experience that," Filoni continued. "I’m glad he was at Star Wars Celebration with us, that he got to see the trailer and get a taste of that from the fans. And they’ve been nothing but wonderful about Ray and the character."
Filoni was recently appointed as the new chief creative officer at Lucasfilm, which pretty much makes him Star Wars' answer to Marvel Studio's Kevin Feige. Best known for his work on animated series The Clone Wars, he'll work closely with the studio's president Kathleen Kennedy to make the next generation of movies and shows set in the galaxy far, far away.
Next up for Lucasfilm on the small screen is Star Wars: Skeleton Crew and The Acolyte, although neither of these shows have release dates yet. For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows currently in the works.
