Not many actors can claim to have played multiple Marvel characters and Star Wars characters in addition to famous historical figures and the villain in one of the biggest Tollywood hits of all time, but Ray Stevenson is one of them. As first reported by Italian news outlets and latest confirmed by The Wrap and Variety, the actor died today at the age of 58. Born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, Stevenson started acting in film and TV in the 1990s. He would go on to become a bigger name thanks to his roles as Titus Pullo in the HBO series "Rome" and as Dagonet, one of Arthur's Knights of the Round Table, in Antoine Fuqua's 2004 period action-adventure epic "King Arthur."

As someone with a knack for playing hard-edged fighters and antiheroes, Stevenson was a natural fit to portray the Marvel comic book vigilante Frank Castle in Lexi Alexander's absurdly violent 2008 cult film "Punisher: War Zone." He would continue to carve out a niche for himself by playing hardened criminals and goons in "The Book of Eli" and "Kill the Irishman," along with his stint as Isaak Sirko on "Dexter." But Stevenson could also play against type, as he did in his role as one third of Thor's lovable Warriors Three, Volstagg, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's "Thor" films and as Porthos in Paul W.S. Anderson's utterly ludicrous (and ridiculously fun) "The Three Musketeers."

A Villain We Loved To Hate

Baddies were Ray Stevenson's true specialty, and he was responsible for creating some truly wonderful villains (in a love-to-hate-them sort of way). Their ranks include Cobra agent Firefly in "G.I. Joe: Retaliation;" Blackbeard himself, Edward Teach, in "Black Sails;" and Gar Saxon, a Mandalorian commander who served Maul in the animated series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars." But of all the despicable antagonists he brought to life, none might be more memorable than the blood-thirsty English governor Scott Buxton in S. S. Rajamouli's anti-colonialist Telugu-language epic "RRR."

In keeping with this trend, Stevenson will appear posthumously in the live-action "Star Wars" series "Ahsoka," playing the dark side user and Thrawn ally Baylan Skoll. The actor's filmography also includes roles in the historical drama series "The Spanish Princess" and "Vikings," as well as the "Divergent" movies (where he played Four's father, Marcus Eaton).

We here at /Film would like to extend our sincere condolences to Stevenson's family, friends, and loved ones in their time of grieving.

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