Arrow Casts Riddick's Matt Nable as Ra's al Ghul

It's not even the premiere date yet, and Arrow star Stephen Amell has already revealed one of the biggest secrets of the show's upcoming third season: who will play the big bad, Ra's al Ghul.

Shortly thereafter, The CW confirmed that Nable, best known for his turn in Riddick, will indeed play Ra's al Ghul in a recurring role for an as-yet-undetermined number of episodes.

His first appearance will be in the fourth episode of the season and the series' fiftieth, titled "The Magician."

Here's how The CW describe the character:

Ra's al Ghul is an iconic villain from the pages of DC Comics. He is the leader of the League of Assassins, and father of Nyssa al Ghul (played by Katrina Law). Proud and unforgiving, Ra's is a ruthless strategist, a master of martial arts, and a shaper of history. He carries the wisdom of the ages, and protects some of its greatest secrets.

During filming on the episode two weeks ago, Amell said that their fiftieth show featured a scene that they'd been building to for two years.  At the time, many fans speculated that it had to do with a confrontation between Oliver and his archenemy Malcolm Merlyn, who was seen rehearsing with Amell that week. Instead, it seems he was likely talking about the reveal of Ra's al Ghul, who was repeatedly referenced but never seen during Season Two.

Earlier rumors had The Mummy's Oded Fehr interested in the role, although that was never confirmed. More recently Liam Neeson, who played the character in Batman Begins, said that he would take the job on Arrow "in a heartbeat."