With the flashback element of Arrow’s fifth season set to take place in Russia, the show has brought in a new face to hassle Oliver Queen during these moments. And not just any face, but the iconic Dolph Lundgren.

Speaking at their TCA panel, executive producer Wendy Mericle confirmed the news, saying, “In our flashbacks in Russia – we’re set in Russia this season – we are going to be bringing in Dolph Lundgren as one of our big bads.”

Producer Marc Guggenheim added, “Oliver’s basically recruited into this crime organisation, while at the same time in the present day Oliver has recruits of his own. He’s a trainee in the past, trainer in the present, and I think that will give the audience the connect-up thematically between present and the past.”

There’s no details on just who Ludgren, best known for the likes of Rocky IV, Universal Soldier and The Expendables, is playing at this stage, but here’s hoping that the flashbacks this season are better than what we were given last year. We pretty much all adore Arrow here at Moonbase Alpha, but those island flashbacks to Lian Yu in Season 4 were just painfully dull to watch bar the brief appearance of Matt Ryan’s John Constantine.

Additionally, it’s been confirmed that this season will be the last one to feature the flashback formula. After all, Oliver Queen was gone from Star City for 5 years, and this fifth season will see the past eventually catch up to where we were when Ollie resurfaced in then-Starling City when the show began.

Arrow’s fifth season premiers on October 5th in the US, with a UK return expected to follow shortly after that.