Straight Outta Compton actor Corey Hawkins is the new Jack Bauer for 24: Legacy

The Dr Dre actor will star in 24's reboot as military hero Eric Carter

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If you're yet to come across the name 'Corey Hawkins', the chances are you either have already or will do extremely soon as the Straight Outta Compton actor's been confirmed as the lead in 24: Legacy.

It was recently announced how 24's original protagonist Jack Bauer, played by Kiefer Sutherland across nine seasons since 2001, would not be featuring in the Fox Network's spin-off.

Instead, we'll have Hawkins' Eric Carter, a military hero who returns home from deployment to discover trouble has followed him. Requesting the assistance of Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU), Carter consequently becomes embroiled in a mission to foil a US terrorist attack.

Hawkins recently played Dr. Dre in F. Gary Gray's N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton and can also be seen in popular zombie drama The Walking Dead in which he plays Heath, a resident of the Alexandria Safe-Zone.

The 27-year-old actor will also appear in Kong: Skull Island alongside Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson and Brie Larson, who is favourite to win this year's Best Actress Oscar for her role in Room.

Filming of 24: Legacy is scheduled to take place later on this year with the show's signature one episode one hour format still in place; the executive producing team (Howard Gordon, Manny Koto and Evan Katz) will all return.