Ray Stevenson, actor in the films “Punisher: War Zone,” “RRR,” and “Thor,” dies at age 58

The Irish actor Ray Stevenson, who played in shows like HBO’s “Rome” and the upcoming “Ahsoka” series, as well as movies like “Punisher: War Zone,” “King Arthur,” and the “Thor” movies, passed away on Sunday in Italy, Variety has verified with his publicist. He was 58.

There was no information about the cause of death.
Stevenson, who was born on May 25, 1964, in Northern Ireland, started his career as a TV actor in the 1990s before winning action parts in Hollywood films in the early 2000s. He played Dagonet, one of the Knights of the Round Table, in Antoine Fuqua’s 2004 action blockbuster “King Arthur,” his first significant acting job. His character in the movie gives his life in the course of the action in order to aid Arthur (Clive Owen) and his band of warrior brothers.

Stevenson was cast as Frank Castle, the titular mercenary, in the Marvel movie “Punisher: War Zone,” released in 2008. Before Disney bought the rights to the Marvel world and subsequently reintroduced the character in the Netflix series “Daredevil,” the movie was released in North America by Lionsgate. The Punisher was portrayed by Stevenson, who was the third actor to do so. In 1989, Dolph Lundgren made his direct-to-video debut as the vigilante, and Thomas Jane took up the role for 2004’s R-rated “Punisher.” A PG-13 revival of the series called “War Zone” only made $10.1 million at the box office, against a $35 million budget. Later, Jon Bernthal assumed the role in the Netflix series “The Punisher” and “Daredevil”.

Stevenson made appearances in blockbusters including Marvel’s “Thor” and Lionsgate’s version of “Divergent” as well as action films like “The Book of Eli,” “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” and “The Three Musketeers” in the 2010s. Stevenson portrayed Volstagg, an Asgardian hero and one of the Warriors Three who aided Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, in his second Marvel film. He appeared in the first three “Thor” films until being killed by Hela, the evil character played by Cate Blanchett in “Thor: Ragnarok.” Stevenson portrayed Marcus Eaton, the faction’s head on the city council and the father of Four (Theo James), in the “Divergent” film series.

Stevenson recently played the villainous Governor Scott Buxton in the Oscar-nominated Tollywood film “RRR.” Additionally, he will appear in the Disney+ “Star Wars” series “Ahsoka” this summer as Baylan Skoll, a Jedi who joins the dark side and works alongside the evil Grand Admiral Thrawn. Prior to this, he provided the voice of Gar Saxon in “Star Wars Rebels” and “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.”

On television, Stevenson played Titus Pullo in the historical drama “Rome” on HBO from 2005 to 2007. He portrayed a Roman soldier who saw numerous significant historical events as the Roman Empire rose, alongside Kevin McKidd’s Lucius Vorenus. Throughout its two seasons, the program won seven Emmys.

In addition, Stevenson portrayed the roles of the sailor Othere in Season 6 of “Vikings,” the Ukrainian gangster Isaak Sirko in Season 7 of Showtime’s “Dexter,” and Blackbeard in Starz’s “Black Sails” pirate series.

Aside from “Ahsoka,” Stevenson’s posthumous credits will also include “1242: Gateway to the West” and “Cassino in Ischia.”