ARROW Casts Kirk Acevedo as New Villain Ricardo Diaz

Last month, we read a casting call for Arrow season six, seeking an actor to play a new character called Ricardo Diaz. In the comics, Diaz is an alias used by the New 52 version of Richard Dragon, and he was a key Green Arrow villain during that run. Now, the series has cast the character.

According to Deadline, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes actor Kirk Acevedo has landed the role of Ricardo Diaz, a recurring villain on Arrow this season. Diaz is described as “a hardened ex-con recently released from prison for crimes he didn’t commit…” who is “… is bent on taking over Star City’s criminal underworld. A master in hand to hand combat, honed by years of life on the street, Diaz has yet to meet a foe he can’t take down.”

Diaz is one of several villains to be facing Oliver Queen and his team this season. Michael Emerson will play an unnamed character, while David Nykl’s Anatoly Knyazev will take on a more antagonistic role.

Stay tuned for more news as we have it. Arrow returns on Thursday, October 12th at 9 PM EST on The CW.