24: Legacy, Fox’s upcoming revival of its long-running tribute to ticking clocks and well-disciplined bladders, is adding another experienced TV spy to its roster of alternately shouting and running talent. Miranda Otto, lately of a season-long arc on 24’s marginally more sober espionage cousin, Homeland, has signed on to star in the new series as its female lead.
The character in question: Rebecca Black, former head of 24’s laughably ineffective CTU, an organization that largely exists so that maverick agents have something they can storm defiantly out of on their way toward saving the day. Regretting her retirement, Black is set to team up with Corey Hawkins’ Eric Carter to thwart whatever time-sensitive terrorism these latter-day Jack Bauers are expected to stop.
Probably best known for her role as the surprisingly one-liner-prone Witch King slayer Eowyn in Peter Jackson’s The Lord Of The Rings, Otto’s recent career includes a smattering of film roles, and a star turn in the failed Greg Kinnear vehicle Rake. Her role as enigmatic station chief Allison Carr on the fifth season of Showtime’s Homeland has presumably prepared her for current descent down the ladder of TV spy silliness; we can hopefully expect to see her pop up on Archer some time in 2018.