Ray Stevenson, Actor in ‘Punisher: War Zone,’ ‘RRR’ and ‘Thor’ Films, Dies at 58
Renowned Irish actor Ray Stevenson, known for his performances in films such as “Punisher: War Zone,” “King Arthur,” the “Thor” franchise, and TV shows like HBO’s “Rome” and the upcoming “Ahsoka” series, has died at the age of 58, according to his publicist confirmed by Variety. The cause of death has not been disclosed, but reports from Italian media indicate that he was taken to a local hospital while on the island of Ischia.
Born on May 25, 1964, in Northern Ireland, Stevenson began his career with television appearances in the 1990s before transitioning to action-packed roles in Hollywood films in the 2000s. He gained recognition for his role as Dagonet, one of the Knights of the Round Table, in Antoine Fuqua’s 2004 adventure film “King Arthur.” In the movie, his character makes a heroic sacrifice in battle to aid Arthur (played by Clive Owen) and his group of warriors.
Stevenson’s breakthrough came in 2008 when he starred as the titular antihero, Frank Castle, in the Marvel film “Punisher: War Zone.” Although the movie was initially distributed by Lionsgate in North America before Disney obtained the rights to the Marvel universe, the character of the Punisher was later reintroduced in the Netflix series “Daredevil.” Stevenson was the third actor to portray the Punisher on screen, following Dolph Lundgren and Thomas Jane. While “War Zone” was a PG-13 reboot of the series, it did not fare well at the box office, earning $10.1 million from a $35 million budget. Jon Bernthal later took on the role in Netflix’s “Daredevil” and “The Punisher” shows.
Throughout the 2010s, Stevenson appeared in various action films, including “The Book of Eli,” “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” “The Three Musketeers,” as well as the “Thor” franchise and the “Divergent” film adaptations. In his Marvel outings, he portrayed Volstagg, one of the Warriors Three and an ally of Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth). Stevenson’s character met his fate at the hands of Cate Blanchett’s villain Hela in “Thor: Ragnarok.” In the “Divergent” series, he portrayed Marcus Eaton, the leader of the Abnegation faction and father of Four (portrayed by Theo James).
Recently, Stevenson appeared in the critically acclaimed Tollywood blockbuster “RRR” as the antagonist Governor Scott Buxton. He was also set to feature in the upcoming Disney+ “Star Wars” series “Ahsoka,” portraying a Jedi named Baylan Skoll, who falls to the dark side and becomes an ally of the sinister Grand Admiral Thrawn. Previously, he lent his voice to the character Gar Saxon in “Star Wars Rebels” and “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.”
On the television front, Stevenson garnered praise for his portrayal of Titus Pullo in the HBO historical drama series “Rome” from 2005 to 2007. He played a Roman soldier alongside Kevin McKidd’s character Lucius Vorenus, witnessing significant historical events during the early days of the Roman Empire. The show received seven Emmy Awards during its two-season run.
Stevenson also took on notable roles, including Ukrainian mobster Isaak Sirko in Season 7 of Showtime’s “Dexter,” Blackbeard in Starz’s “Black Sails” pirate series, and the sailor Othere in
