Gotham’s newest cast member knows his way around a shield.

As announced this evening on TVLine, veteran actor Michael Chiklis will be joining Gotham as a series regular in the role of Captain Nathaniel Barnes.

Captain Barnes is an original character, but fortunately, the Gotham producers have provided an intriguing description. The GCPD’s new captain “lands on the GCPD like a tornado, ripping out the dead wood of Gotham’s police force. He is a law and order zealot; unafraid of making enemies – on either side of the law. For Gordon (Ben McKenzie), Barnes is a hero and a mentor, someone with whom he can share the burden of heroism. Captain Barnes proves himself to be a strong ally to Gordon… but one day he will make an equally powerful enemy.”

If you’ve seen Chiklis on The Shield or more recently on American Horror Story, you know that he’s a solid actor who can be an intimidating presence on screen. He not only has plenty of experience playing a cop, but has also dabbled in the world of super heroes on the show No Ordinary Family and in the original Fantastic Four movie and its sequel. In short, he’s absolutely perfect for a show like Gotham.

What do you think? Are you ready for Gotham’s return?