Arrow Casts Matt Nable, Not Liam Neeson, As Ra’s Al Ghul

Liam Neeson’s tiny bit of campaigning to play Ra’s al Ghul on TV like he did n the movies didn’t pay off — not that we really thought it would.

Actor Stephen Amell, who plays the lead role of Oliver Queen on Arrow, took to Twitter to announce that the show had finally found someone to portray Ra’s al Ghul in Season 3:

Nable is an Autralian actor and former pro rugby player. He’s split his time between Aussie and American productions, and is perhaps best known for appearing in the 2013 film Riddick as Boss Johns.

Ra’s al Ghul is the head of the League of Assassins, an organization that has both menaced and come to the aid of Arrow‘s Starling City thanks to its role in the origin of the Canary, Sara Lance. In the comics, he’s been a longtime thorn in the side of Batman (not to mention the grandfather of Bruce Wayne’s late son Damian), but all signs point to him as the “Big Bad” of the upcoming season.

The Hollywood Reporter says we won’t have to wait long to see Nable’s take on the “Demon’s Head,” as Ra’s al Ghul will make his first appearance in the fourth episode of Season 3, “The Magician.”