Rory McCann nearly appeared in Andor, and it would’ve changed Star Wars forever

Rory McCann is best known for playing The Hound in Game of Thrones, but he nearly played a key role in Andor, and it would’ve had a drastic effect on the future of Star Wars.

The British star played Sandor Clegane in all eight seasons of Game of Thrones, and although the divisive ending disappointed fans of HBO’s fantasy series, it’s still regarded as one of the best TV shows of all time. Still, it has become the blueprint for shows like The Witcher as to how not to an end a beloved franchise.

After Game of Thrones, McCann was set to leap into a galaxy far, far away in Tony Gilroy’s Andor series on Disney+, which examines the life of Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) before the devastating events of the Rogue One.

Unfortunately, McCann wasn’t able to fully commit to the role — but if he did, the domino effect on the Star Wars galaxy would’ve been huge.

Rory McCann wouldn’t have been able to replace Ray Stevenson in Ahsoka Season 2

During a panel interview with the Star Wars Sessions podcast, British actor Joplin Sibtain revealed that McCann was originally cast as Brasso, Andor’s close friend who appears throughout both seasons of the show. However, he dropped out early on in production due to a knee injury.

“The first day of filming, the guy playing Brasso played The Hound in Game of Thrones. They shot some of his scenes. He’s 6 foot 6, and I’m 6 foot 3. But he did his knee in,” Sibtain recalled. “He was on his way to work, it was very icy at that time, he slipped up and did his knee in.”

“He just had a limp and he went to work. They did a scan on it and the consultant said ‘If you don’t have this operated on, you’re gonna not be able to walk.”

However, if McCann had continued playing Brasso, that would’ve likely ruled him out for replacing Ray Stevenson as Baylan Skoll in Ahsoka Season 2 after the actor sadly died in 2023.

That would’ve left the Star Wars franchise in a difficult position, because McCann bares a similar resemblance to Stevenson, and can carry a similar level of gravitas in his performance, as Game of Thrones fans already know.

Earlier in the year, McCann opened up about the challenge of continuing Baylan Skoll’s storyline, saying: “I think it’s the right decision to carry on his storyline… I hope the fans embrace it and I’ll do my best.”