Back to the Future’s Christopher Lloyd Joins 12 Monkeys Cast

Christopher Lloyd is going back to his time travel ways, joining the cast of 12 Monkeys in a guest star role for season three, Syfy announced Wednesday in a press release. Lloyd will guest as Zalmon Shaw, a cult leader who is the man recruiting for the Army of the 12 Monkeys. That’s not all – Lloyd has a pivotal connection to one of the main villains of the series, as he’s the father of the Pallid Man.

No word on how many episodes Lloyd will be around for, but with a casting notice like that, it’s a certainty his appearance will be felt all season long.

Syfy also announced that 12 Monkeys co-creator and showrunner Terry Matalas is directing the season three premiere, which is filming now in Toronto. The premiere episode follows a major cliffhanger in season two, where the primary antagonist of the series was finally revealed alongside some major changes in time. Aaron Stanford returns as James Cole alongside Amanda Schull as Dr. Cassandra Railly, Kirk Acevedo as Ramse, Emily Hampshire as everyone’s favorite all-too-sane loony Jennifer Goines, Barbara Sukowa as Katarina Jones, and Todd Stashwick returning as Deacon.

Syfy’s new official description for season three of the series reads:

“In season three, James Cole and Cassandra Railly embark on a desperate search across time to find the man responsible for the apocalypse, a time traveler who calls himself the Witness.Killing the Witness will mean saving the world. But the journey will come at tremendous personal stakes for both Cole and Railly and will call into question new alliances, old bonds, and the virtue of the mission itself.”

Several news outlets including ComicBook.com called 12 Monkeys season two the best science fiction show on television, praising its heavy focus on characterization, morality plays, and tight, hard science fiction in the way they handle time travel.

“The science fiction is incredible,” we wrote. “Everything the main characters do to time has consequences, and it does things right back to them. The plague is really only half the equation – it was never meant to destroy the world, or kill the population, it was just meant to force time travel into being – and that’s where season two comes in, deepening the mysteries. Time gets bent, rewritten, damaged, and grows – yes, grows. Time has voices, and there are messengers and a witness trying to get rid of it altogether.”

Season three, with the major twists at season two and a cast list that includes at least one character thought dead, has everything in place to make it even more exciting. With this newest cast member and Terry Matalas taking on an even bigger role, Syfy fans should be in for a treat with 12 Monkeys Season 3 when it debuts next year.