There’s more Arrow in Kirk Acevedo’s future…

The 46-year-old Puerto Rican, who recurred last season as the drug kingpin and crime lord Ricardo Diaz (aka as Dragon), has been promoted to series regular for Season 7, which premieres on October 15 on the CW.

A thorn in the side of Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) in season six, Diaz saw Team Arrow launch an attack on him during the season finale in May, only to escape. FBI agent Samandra Watson vows to haul him in, however.

The character has a publishing history with roots that date back more than 40 years. In 1975, DC Comics started publishing a series called Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter, which featured a martial arts master who grew up as a thief but changed his ways. The series lasted a mere 18 issues. Jump forward to 2013, and a new fighter calling himself Dragon was introduced; he eventually was revealed to be  a younger man named Ricardo Diaz, a traitorous protege to the original Dragon who stole his heroic master’s name when he murdered him. The television version has hewed more to that recent mythology.

Based on the DC characters, the series is executive produced by Greg Berlanti, Beth Schwartz and Sarah Schechter. 

Arrow is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros Television.

It moves to a new night this season after airing on Thursdays in 2017-18.

Acevedo’s previous television credits include 12 Monkeys, Prime Suspect and Kingdom.