At the TCA summer press tour, Showtime made six casting announcements for its upcoming live-action Halo TV series based on the iconic video game franchise. These newcomers will join actor Pablo Schreiber, who was cast as Master Chief back in April . The series will premiere in the first quarter of 2021.

Natascha McElhone will portray Cortana

"[Natascha] McElhone will star as two characters -- Dr. Catherine Halsey, the brilliant, conflicted and inscrutable creator of the Spartan supersoldiers and Cortana, the most advanced AI in human history, and potentially the key to the survival of the human race," according to a press release from Showtime.McElhone and Schreiber will be joined by veteran actors Bokeem Woodbine and Shabana Azmi. "Woodbine will play Soren-066, a morally complex privateer at the fringes of human civilization whose fate will bring him into conflict with his former military masters and his old friend, the Master Chief. Azim will portray Admiral Margaret Parangosky, the head of the Office of Naval Intelligence."

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Per Showtime, "the series will also introduce three all-new characters to the Halo universe. Bentley Kalu will play Spartan Vannak-134, a cybernetically augmented supersoldier conscripted at childhood who serves as the defacto deputy to the Master Chief. Natasha Culzac will star in the role of Spartan Riz-028 – a focused, professional and deadly, cybernetically enhanced killing machine. Kate Kennedy stars as Spartan Kai-125, an all-new courageous, curious and deadly Spartan supersoldier."What do you think about the casting? Let us know in the comments. Showtime's Halo TV series will premiere in the first quarter of 2021.

David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He's also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter