"Arrow" has recruited "The Expendables" actor Dolph Lundgren to guest in Season 5 as a new villain. The news was announced on Thursday at the Television Critics Association (TCA) summer press tour.
"Arrow" Season 5 will introduce Lundgren in a recurring role as Kovat, Entertainment Weekly has learned. According to executive producer Wendy Mericle, Lundgren's role as the new Big Bad is tied up to Oliver's flashback scenes in Russia. Fans will remember his character being mentioned by Taiana toward the end of Season 4.
"We are going to bring him in and he's going to be this super big badass guy who works for the Russian government, and is not a friend of Oliver or the Bratva," Mericle teased.
"It's part of Oliver's promise to Taiana at the end of season 4 and it's going to be interesting because it's going to get complicated and very messed up very fast."
Lundgren joins other "Arrow" Season 5 guest stars that include Carly Pope, Josh Segarra, Rick Gonzales, Chad Coleman, Tyler Ritter, Joe Dinicol and Cody Rhodes.
In other developments, the plot details of "Arrow" Season 5 have been released by the CW this week. In the official press release shared by Comic Book, the network teased that Oliver will find himself challenged as he fights on two fronts for the future of Star City. Following his public defeat of Damien Darhk, a new set of vigilantes will step up and defend the city.
However, their painful inexperience makes them obstacles rather than allies, the network previewed. Meanwhile, the arrival of Oliver's new foe on "Arrow" Season 5 will force him to confront questions about his own legacy as a mayor and as the Green Arrow.
"Arrow" stars Stephen Amell, David Ramsey, Emily Bett Rickards and Willa Holland. Season 5 premieres on Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 8PM on the CW.
