Last month, the word arrived that a globetrotting action-orientated spy show was in the works from Scorpion creator and Jack Ryan showrunner Nick Santora. While that was hardly groundbreaking news in itself, it came with the huge announcement that Arnold Schwarzenegger would play the lead role in what marks the 73 year-old’s first ever appearance as a series regular.
As one of the action genre’s most legendary figures and a genuine Hollywood icon, the news that Schwarzenegger would be heading to the small screen instantly made the still-untitled project one to keep a very close eye on. Spy shows are everywhere these days and many of them are so similar as to be interchangeable, but none of them can boast the star of The Terminator, Commando, The Running Man, Total Recall and True Lies in the lead.
There’s still no word on whether the series will be heading to network TV or created exclusively for streaming, but Schwarzenegger’s fictional daughter has now been cast, with rising star Monica Barbaro officially singing on the dotted line. The 30 year-old will make her feature film debut next year as crack pilot Phoenix in Top Gun: Maverick, but she’s been a regular on television for a while now after appearing in episodes of Hawaii Five-O, Chicago P.D. and Stumptown, as well as Netflix’s The Good Cop, which was canceled after one season in 2018.
Barbaro’s performance in the belated Top Gun sequel is reportedly what convinced Santora to approach her for the role, and she’ll now be joining what’ll surely be one of the most hotly-anticipated shows on the horizon based on Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s presence alone. Watch this space for more.