‘Outlander’ season 3: Gary Young, Charlie Hiett cast as Mr. Willoughby, Captain Leonard

This morning, a pair of long-rumored “Outlander” castings were finally made official. Starz confirmed that Gary Young and Charlie Hiett were cast in the important roles of Mr. Willoughby and Captain Thomas Leonard for the upcoming third season.

Given that these are fantastic casting, let’s break them down individually.

Mr. Willoughby – In some ways, Willoughby is certain an outsider to Scottish culture, given that he is a Chinese man who finds himself far from what he consider home. He is extremely intelligent, and speaks English far better than he lets on to certain people. He has interest in poetry and in romance, and he also has a good relationship with Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan). We don’t want to give too much away about his story, given that there are some readers out there who are not well-versed in the source material from Diana Gabaldon.

Gary Young is primarily known for his work in New Zealand, and therefore it makes some sense that one of his most-prominent American TV credits is MTV’s “The Shannara Chronicles” — a series that filmed its first season in the country.

Captain James Leonard – A British Captain responsible for leading the Artemis, James wants to do the best job that he can — however, he struggles with the amount of responsibility that lies on his shoulders for the job. It’s not a position that he was ready for, but he has to do his best with the cards that he’s been dealt.

Hiett was trained at the prestigious Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, and some of his notable credits include ITV’s “The Suspicions of Mr Whincher” as well as “M.I.High.”

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One of the things that “Outlander” has done a superb job over the years is finding a way to select the right person for almost every role, no matter who they are and where they’re from. They’ve made some fantastic choices over the years, whether it be with Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan as the leads, or bringing on Sophie Skelton and Richard Rankin as Bree and Roger last year. The third season will premiere later this year, although further specifics are not entirely clear as of yet.

For more news and updates regarding the series, including why its stars in Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe should host “Saturday Night Live,” head over here. Also, be sure to share your thoughts on the castings below. (Photo: Starz.)