Liev Schreiber Replaces Ray Stevenson As Baylan Skoll In Amazing Ahsoka Fanart

There's a lot to praise about the Disney+ series "Ahsoka," with the work of the late, great Ray Stevenson at the top of the list. Making his "Star Wars" debut on the program, the actor excels in the role of Baylan Skoll. He strikes a delicate balance between his brutish and intimidating and introspective and mysterious sides. Sadly, with Stevenson's death on May 21, 2023, at the age of 58, many have speculated that Skoll's journey to discover the mysteries of the Force could be over before it truly began. Meanwhile, others have recommended other actors to carry on the part, with "X-Men" franchise star Liev Schreiber proving a popular first choice among many.

Bringing Schreiber's take on Skoll to life, u/JediWarrior117 on Reddit put together some intriguing concept art. They took a still from "Ahsoka" and simply grafted Schreiber's face to Skoll's body, and the result is breathtaking. While it stands to reason Schreiber's hypothetical rendition of the character would look different than what this fanart depicts, it's probably not far off. After all, Schreiber is 6-foot-3-inches tall just like Stevenson was, and their overall physical builds are similar. The biggest differences lie in their faces, but even those aren't too distracting. Give Schreiber a beard and similar hairstyle and he's pretty close to perfect for the now-confirmed "Ahsoka" Season 2.

Suffice to say, upon seeing what u/JediWarrior117 whipped up, many "Star Wars" fans couldn't help but agree that Schreiber is the top pick to carry on the Skoll role.

Even though the idea of Liev Schreiber becoming the next Baylan Skoll isn't new, this fanart still impressed many "Star Wars" fans. The comments are loaded with words of approval.

"Never seen the composite done so well, affirms this choice. Not only due to the look similarity, but [Schreiber] can act rings around most of the other choices and has the physical intimidation factor," wrote u/Tarmac_Chris, noting that not only does Schreiber fit the role visually, but his acting ability could more than do justice to the character. u/0megathreshold agreed, having seen Schreiber put his acting skills to good use on stage in the past. They feel he's a worthy successor to Ray Stevenson and then some, adding, "This would be a good casting and someone who is capable of taking a character like Skoll that Ray brought to life with the gravitas it deserves."

Giving props to u/JediWarrior117 and others who've proposed Schreiber taking on the role, u/ExistingLow thinks this is one of the few instances where "Star Wars" fan-casting wasn't totally off-base. At the same time, u/gonowbegonewithyou doesn't envy whoever ends up taking a crack at the Skoll part next, considering just how perfect Stevenson turned out to be for it. "He was far and away the most interesting character on the show. I don't know who's going to replace Ray Stevenson, but they'll have big shoes to fill," they said.

Time will tell what the minds at Lucasfilm have in store for Baylan Skoll going forward. Ray Stevenson will always be synonymous with the character, but that's not to say someone like Liev Schreiber couldn't do right by his legacy by carrying the dark Jedi into the future.