Bruce Boxleitner is no stranger to playing figures of authority in science fiction, which is why the news that he'll be joining the cast of Heroes as a character who was originally based on a certain U.S. Senator from Arizona is welcome news indeed. TV Guide's Mike Ausiello gives us the scoop about the character.

Boxleitner (who played the role of Captain Sherridan on Babylon 5) has snagged a top-secret role that was, at one point, based on Sen. John McCain. The character has been reconsidered a bit, and it has now been confirmed that he'll be sharing scenes with a female series regular.

Before we worry that Heroes is repeating the mistakes of Season 2 by throwing tons of new characters at us, an insider at NBC insists that, while there are a few new faces this season, the show's focus will be on the characters from the original few episodes of the show.

Heroes is an epic drama that chronicles the lives of ordinary people who discover they possess extraordinary abilities. The show airs Monday nights on NBC.