Actor Ray Stevenson, known for his countless roles in popular franchises such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Star Wars saga, has died at the age of 58 years old.

Stevenson was in Italy at the time of his passing, as confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter. The Irish-born actor was working on the film Cassino on Ischia when he was hospitalized, although the reason for his hospitalization or the cause of his death has not been released yet. Stevenson was just four days shy of his 59th birthday. He was born on May 25, 1964.

Stevenson is known by many in the Marvel fandom as Volstagg, the Asgardian warrior who appeared in all three Thor movies from 2011 to 2022, although he also played Frank Castle, aka The Punisher in the pre-MCU film Punisher: War Zone and the animated series The Super Hero Squad Show. 

In addition to Marvel, Stevenson also has ties to George Lucas’ Star Wars franchise wherein he played the Mandalorian commander Gar Saxon in the animated series’ Star Wars Rebels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. He will star as the former Jedi, Baylan Skoll in the live-action Disney Plus series Ahsoka this August. His parts have already been filmed and will still remain a part of the 2023 show despite his untimely passing.

Most recently, Stevenson starred in the Oscar-winning action movie RRR as the racist governor, Scott Buxton. He earned a great many praises for his portrayal of the brutal villain. The film won not only an Oscar but also the title of one of the highest-grossing films in India. 

Stevenson was in the beginning stages of development on Cassino on Ischia when he passed. His character, Nic Cassino is a veteran action movie star looking to breathe new life into his career by seeking out a fresh movie opportunity in Italy. While there, he is met with family drama that challenges him far more than he expected upon venturing into the foreign country. The status of the movie remains unknown at this time. 

Stevenson is survived by his three children, Sebastiano, Leonardo, and Lodovico, whom he had with Italian anthropologist Elisabetta Caraccia. Stevenson and Caraccia met while he worked on the historical TV series Rome. He eventually married English actress Ruth Gemmell to whom he was married from 1997 to 2005 – at which point they ultimately divorced.

It goes without saying that Stevenson’s contributions to film and television, which span all the way back to 1993 when he appeared as a journalist on the TV series A Woman’s Guide to Adultery, will be sorely missed. May he rest in peace, and may the force always be with him.