“Ahsoka”: First Look at Rory McCann as Baylan Skoll, While Admiral Ackbar, Zeb and More Anakin Skywalker Are Announced for Season 2
New details about the second season were revealed at Star Wars Celebration Japan.
At the Ahsoka panel at Star Wars Celebration Japan, early behind the scenes images from Season 2 of the Disney+ series were revealed, while some key Star Wars characters were announced to be appearing, including Admiral Ackbar, Zeb, and more with Anakin Skywalker.
What’s Happening:
- The Ahsoka panel consisted of Dave Filoni, Jon Favreau, and Rosario Dawson, with Hayden Christensen joining soon after as a surprise. Though the brunt of it looked back on Season 1, the group then shifted into talk about what’s to come in Season 2, just days before production will begin.
- Game of Thrones’ Rory McCann will be taking over the role of Baylan Skoll in Season 2, due to the death of Ray Stevenson, who originated the character in Season 1. While Season 2 won’t begin filming until next week, the first images of McCann in costume as Baylan were shown, as seen above.
- Filoni got highly emotional speaking about losing Stevenson, paying tribute to him and remembering how much he enjoyed working with the late actor, and then saying “I’m very confident now that Ray would be happy with the direction we’ve chosen. Baylon represents a different journey, and that must continue."
- As for those huge statues we glimpsed at the end of Season 1, as Baylan embarked on his journey, representing the gods of Mortis introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Filoni promised, “We’ll figure out the mystery of the Mortis gods in Season 2."
- With Christensen present, the panelists spoke about getting to show him as Anakin again in Season 1 via the mystical World Between Worlds, before the actor revealed that he would be returning as Anakin once more in Season 2.
- Some behind the scenes images were shown while Favreau spoke about the pre-visualization of Season 2.
- The Noti are back in Season 2, while Admiral Ackbar will go head-to-head with Thrawn, in what sounds like an exciting showdown between two great military leaders.
- And you can see the major merchandising future in the reveal that there are also Loth kittens!
- Despite having no real trailer to show, given they haven’t actually begun production, a teaser of sorts was still played, which Filoni noted was influenced by the first, footage-free teaser for The Empire Strikes Back. Edited like an old newsreel, it showed a lot of concept art for Season 2, while revealing Zeb will finally join his fellow Star Wars Rebels buddies on the series, following his appearance in next year’s The Mandalorian and Grogu film.
- Check out more from Star Wars Celebration Japan here at Laughing Place, including at our live blog!
More From Star Wars Celebration:
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