When it comes to character introductions, there are few as good as the introduction of Barry Allen in the current season of Arrow. Fresh faced, lovable, and oh so huggable, Grant Gustin’s take on the famed DC character was so good, the CW opted to give The Flash his own stand-alone pilot instead of creating a back-door pilot on a future episode of Arrow. Quickly, that pilot has been gaining traction, as production is set to begin shortly. Recently, Law & Order alum Jesse L. Martin was cast in the series as Detective West, a surrogate father to Allen in the series. And now, two more have been added to the roster.

Rick Cosnett of The Vampire Diaries will play Detective Eddie Thawne, a/k/a Eobard Thawne, a/k/a Professor Zoom, a recent transfer to the Central City Police Department with a sketchy past and dark secret that’s not been currently revealed. In addition to Cosnett, the pilot has also added Danielle Panabaker, who has some experience with the superhero kind from her role in Sky High. Panabaker will play S.T.A.R. Labs’ bioengineering expert Caitlin Snow, a/k/a Killer Frost, a woman who recently lost her fiancé in the explosion seen in the final act of Gustin’s two-part episode of Arrow.

The Flash pilot has been shaping up nicely, and with these recent announcements, it seems we might just be able to breathe a sigh of relief that The CW might just not screw this up after all. Arrow is by far one of the best comic book shows to ever grace television, and with the series’ cast and crew (including co-creator Greg Berlanti and director David Nutter) heavily involved in the pseudo-spin-off for the fastest man on the planet (Supes don’t yet exist in this world), next Fall can’t come fast enough.