Gotham's Azrael To Play Sarek, Spock's Dad, in Star Trek: Discovery

Character actor James Frain, who essayed a creepy, contemplative Azrael in Gotham, will soon put on the pointed ears to play Sarek, Spock's dignified father, in Star Trek: Discovery. Frain, 49, is the fourth actor to bring the beloved Vulcan ambassador to life.While Frain is a familiar face in mainstream TV and movies, sci-fi and fantasy fans remember him for his appearances in TRON: Legacy, True Detective, Grimm, The Intruders, and The Cape.

Frain's name recognition and extensive acting experience should serve him well in stepping into the big shoes of Mark Lenard, the late actor who created the character more than 30 years ago in Star Trek: The Original Series. Lenard, who passed away in 1996, brought gravitas to the role of Spock's strong-willed father in the 1960s series, a couple of guest appearances in Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the movies Star Trek III The Search for Spock, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

Prior to Frain's coming on board, two other actors had played Sarek: Jonathan Simpson who played a younger version who watched Spock's birth in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, and esteemed British actor Ben Cross in the J.J. Abrams' film reboot.

Aint It Cool, which broke the news, quoted Bryan Fuller, Star Trek: Discovery's showrunner and co-creator, as saying that he had hoped to beam Amanda, Sarek's human wife and Spock's mother, into the show as well. It can still be possible, considering that the show is set 10 years before the adventures of the original Kirk and Spock. This means that Frain's Sarek is in his mid-50s or the Vulcan equivalent, and according to Trek lore, already a diplomatic power to contend with in the United Federation of Planets.

Star Trek: Discovery is set to air on CBS All Access in 2017.

Read: Protagonist of Star Trek: Discovery is a Callback to the Original Pilot