Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali – best known for his roles on Marvel’s Luke Cage and Moonlight – has been signed on to star in True Detective season 3, despite the fact that a third season hasn’t been officially announced by HBO.  According to HBO’s director of programming, Casey Bloys, things are beginning to shape up, having read five finished scripts for the potential next season.  “They are terrific … I was very impressed and excited,” he said, according to Deadline.  “We are talking to directors, and when we have a director we want to hire, it will be a go.”

This is fantastic news for True Detective fans, as many thought the series to be dead in the water following the rather poor reception season 2 received.  That said, anything that comes after the first season of True Detective – which starred Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson – is facing an uphill struggle.  When asked last year about the negative reaction to season 2, Michael Lombardo – HBO’s former president of programming – admitted that show creator Nic Pizzolatto was rushed to put out a second season, building on the success of season one.

“I think what we did was go, ‘Great.’ And I take the blame. I became too much of a network executive at that point. We had huge success. ‘Gee, I’d love to repeat that next year.’  Well, you know what? I set him up to deliver, in a very short time frame, something that became very challenging to deliver.. That’s not what that show is. He had to reinvent the wheel, so to speak. Find his muse. And so I think that’s what I learned from it. Don’t do that anymore.”

Mahershala Ali’s star power has recently been on the rise, especially after his explosive performance as Cornell ‘Cottonmouth’ Stokes in season one of Marvel’s Luke Cage.  Earlier this year, Ali took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, for his role in Moonlight.  he also won this year’s SAG Award, as well as the Critics’ Choice Award.  His upcoming performance in True Detective season 3 is sure to turn heads, and hopefully revitalize the series after its mediocre second season.

So, thoughts on HBO’s casting of Mahershala Ali?  Who else would you like to see star in True Detective season 3?  What did you think of Ali’s performance in Luke Cage?  Let us know in the comments section below, and as always, stay tuned to DFTG for all the latest gaming and entertainment news!  Don’t forget to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter for our 24/7 news feed!