Nikita’s Aaron Stanford has found his next role. The actor, who recently wrapped up his four-season stint on the CW series (the final season debuts November 22nd), will star in 12 Monkeys , the new Syfy pilot based on Terry Gilliam’s 1995 film. Stanford will play Cole, the lead character, described as “a desperate and haunted time traveler from the post-apocalyptic near future who appears in present day on a mission to locate and eradicate the source of a deadly plague that will eventually decimate the human race.” Prior to Nikita, Stanford played Pyro in X2 and X-Men: The Last Stand.

Aaron Stanford in Nikita.

Starring alongside Stanford is Suits’ Amanda Schull, playing Cassandra Railly, “a brilliant doctor who is forced to choose between her idyllic life or joining Cole’s mission to uncover the dangerous conspiracy.”Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett (full disclosure: they’re friends of mine and Travis used to work here at IGN) wrote the 12 Monkeys script and are co-executive producing. The duo are also just wrapping up a two-season stint on Nikita and there’s even one more Nikita connection – Schull guest starred in a Season 3 episode, where her character had a memorable fight in a morgue with Maggie Q’s title character.Also joining 12 Monkeys are Natalie Chaidez (In Plain Sight, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), who will serve as executive producer and showrunner and Jeffrey Reiner (Friday Night Lights), who will be directing the pilot and will also executive produce.Stanford’s casting comes on the heels of his fellow Nikta alum Shane West being cast in the upcoming series Salem