‘Castle’ Alum Nathan Fillion Returns to ABC in ‘The Rookie’

Nathan Fillion has been cast in ABC‘s new cop drama The Rookie, and the network has just released a first-look photo of the star back in action.

Fillion played Richard Castle in the network’s hit show Castle, and now he’s working with one of the Castle‘s executive producers on the new series, according to a report by Entertainment Weekly. The Rookie was ordered straight to series in October, and ABC is finally giving fans a few details before their upfront presentation begins next week.

“Starting over isn’t easy, especially for small-town guy John Nolan who, after a life-altering incident, is pursuing his dream of being an LAPD officer,” reads the series’ logline. “As the force’s oldest rookie, he’s met with skepticism from some higher-ups who see him as just a walking midlife crisis. If he can’t keep up with the young cops and the criminals, he’ll be risking lives including his own. But if he can use his life experience, determination, and sense of humor to give him an edge, he may just become a success in this new chapter of his life.”

Fillion will be joined in the main cast by Alyssa Diaz, Richard T. Jones, Titus Makin, Mercedes Mason, Melissa O’Neil, Afton Williamson and Eric Winter.

Hawley, who rose to the rank of executive producer on Castle in the final season, also worked on shows like The Following and Body of Proof. He brought Fillion on as a fellow executive producer on The Rookie, along with Mark Gordon, Michelle Chapman and John Steinberg. The pilot was directed and executive produced by Liz Friedlander.

Fillion has risen to stardom through a number of cult-classic and sci-fi projects. He was the intrepid captain of the Serenity space ship in the short-lived masterpiece Firefly, created by Joss Whedon. He reprised that role later when the show got a movie spin-off, simply titled Serenity.

Fillion also starred in the sci-fi horror Slither in 2006, gaining him further clout in the niche worlds of genre-based entertainment. These days, he has claimed more mainstream roles like Castle, or his new gig on The Rookie, but many still think of him as the patron saint of science fiction in Hollywood.

Fillion is still expected to return for a third season of Santa Clarita Diet on Netflix, though his future on Modern Family is somewhat less clear. As the eccentric weatherman, Rainer Shine, he could be back on the air at any time.