Dave Filoni Isn't Sure What Will Happen With Ray Stevenson's Ahsoka Character
With the WGA strike officially over and the SAG-AFTRA strike set to follow its lead (pending the official ratification vote, that is), actors and writers are free to publicly talk about the work they would've promoted in the intervening months. Perhaps one of the biggest productions that was robbed of having its biggest and brightest stars interact with eager fans is the recent Disney+ series "Ahsoka." Between original cast members like Hayden Christensen reprising his role as Anakin Skywalker and newbies like Natasha Liu Bordizzo embodying fan-favorite characters like Sabine Wren in live-action, there was a lot to get off their chest. In a new profile by Vanity Fair, both the cast and series creator Dave Filoni did exactly that.
One major tidbit involves the status of Baylan Skoll. The enigmatic figure played by the late, great Ray Stevenson was neither Sith nor Jedi despite his upbringing in the Jedi Temple, instead presenting a whole new threat to our heroes and causing endless speculation among fans as to his true motivations. Sadly, Stevenson wasn't able to see viewers embrace his stoic portrayal of the villainous, yet oddly noble figure as he passed away months before the show premiered. Though far from the primary concern, this absence has left a major hole for any continuation of the story (whether in a second season or some other form altogether remains unknown) to address. According to Filoni, Baylan's arc obviously remains unfinished, but nothing is set in stone beyond that:
"Obviously, there's a story there. 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 thought it was an exciting image'
When last we saw Baylan in the season finale of "Ahsoka," viewers were left on a tantalizing cliffhanger. Having hitched a ride to another galaxy altogether in the search for Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen), Baylan instead went his own way while everyone else was preoccupied by the main battle between remnants of the Galactic Empire and our remaining Rebel heroes. His very last appearance revealed the mysterious figure atop a statue of the Mortis gods, providing the briefest of hints as to what he intended to do next on the planet of Peridea. To Dave Filoni, this wasn't a creative choice made lightly:
"You have to be careful with that. I know it's a very specific group of people that would even know what those statues are, but I thought it was an exciting image, and it does give you the shape of what Baylan is after."
What's clear is that Baylan has had enough of the age-old dichotomy between the Jedi and the Sith. Having seen both orders fail miserably, the aged master appears convinced that, "I should be the one making decisions," as Filoni puts it. "He's also very certain that what he's doing now is the right thing." As for next steps, it's likely that Filoni will eventually have to recast the character. Such a major dangling plot thread suggests fans would be none too pleased if that final shot of Baylan never actually pays off, and we'd hope Lucasfilm learned their lesson from how they handled (okay, more like bungled) Leia Organa's role in "The Rise of Skywalker" after Carrie Fisher's death.
For now, fans can continue to celebrate Ray Stevenson's life through their appreciation of his foray into the "Star Wars" universe.