Casting for the Deadpool movie continues, and the production has now settled on its female lead. THR reports that Homeland actress Morena Baccarin has signed on to star opposite Ryan Reynolds in the comic adaptation, which revolves around an assassin who, after undergoing a procedure to cure his cancer, ends up twisted, scarred, and imbued with superpowers.

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Image via FOX

We recently learned that Gina Carano signed on to play mutant Angel Dust in the X-Men-connected feature, but it appears that Carano’s character is not the female lead in the film. That duty falls to Baccarin, who will play a woman who “grapples with falling for a man with a hideously scarred face.” I’m hoping that description isn’t indicative of the character as a whole, ie. a woman who exists in the story solely in relation to Deadpool.

Baccarin was apparently one of a handful of actresses shortlisted to play the character, but she ended up winning the role. She impressed as the complex Jessica Brody on the first three seasons of Showtime’s Homeland, and she currently has a guest starring role on Fox’s Batman prequel series Gotham as Dr. Leslie Thompkins.

Baccarin joins Carano and T.J. Miller in the cast thus far, with an earlier report indicating that the film will also include the X-Men character of Colossus. Indeed, while Deadpool is edgier than the main X-Men franchise (and could very well be R-rated), it certainly looks like Fox is setting up this Deadpool series as part of an inter-connected universe with the X-Men franchise, the next film of which will be X-Men: Apocalypse.

Tim Miller is directing the Deadpool movie with production set to begin very soon, so look for more casting news in the coming weeks. Deadpool opens in theaters on February 12, 2016.

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