Casting Scoop: Meet the Newest Vampire Diaries Hottie!

Stephen Amell joins the cast of The Vampire Diaries as a character with a past connection to Mason Lockwood

Mason Lockwood (Taylor Kinney) may be dead, but his werewolfy legacy lives on.

Insiders confirm to us that a young actor named Stephen Amell is coming to CW's The Vampire Diaries as a character with a connection to Tyler's (Michael Trevino) gorgeous uncle. So who is this new kid, exactly, and what role does he play in Mystic Falls' ongoing werewolf-vampire shenanigans? Here's what we can reveal:

Producers tell us this about Amell's character: "Stephen plays Brady—an old friend of Mason Lockwood who blows into town with a vengeance. [He's a] loyal friend or your worst enemy depending on who you are. Did we mention he was hot?" (We believe you about the hotness—good looks and the werewolf gene are quite obviously linked!)

Look for Brady to appear in two episodes, one of which is filming right now.

Wow, Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder) better watch his back. It looks like it's not as easy as he thought it would be to torture and murder a gorgeous werewolf and get away scot-free. In addition to Amell's Brady character, Michaela McManus joins the cast for the Dec. 9 episode "By the Light of the Moon," as Jules, a friend of Mason's from Florida who comes looking for her missing buddy.

Amell was also recently a contender for the lead role in the upcoming season of Spartacus: Blood and Sand.