Former sheriff Rick Grimes is the current reigning king of the zombie apocalypse, but he's about to get some competition in the form of this shotgun-wielding badass:

That's actor Cliff Curtis in "Training Day." He's officially the star of AMC's upcoming "Walking Dead" spinoff, which is code-named "Cobalt," according to Deadline. Slowly but surely, the "Walking Dead" companion series is springing to life, and now's the time to get excited, with Curtis on board to play the leading man.

If you don't know Curtis by name, you know him by his work. Aside from his appearance in "Training Day," Curtis has held roles in movies like "Sunshine"…

"Three Kings"…

…and "10,000 B.C."

He's a television veteran as well, most recently starring on Fox's "Gang Related."

Curtis is an incredibly versatile actor with years and years of experience under his belt. He's a recognizable face, but not so recognizable that he won't be able to disappear into his new "Walking Dead" role.

That role, by the way, is described by Deadline as a divorced teacher, "a good man who tries to do right by everyone in his life." Like Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, then, Curtis plays a man with the best intentions — but we've seen what the zombie apocalypse can do to well-intentioned men.

Yeah. Lots of that. Let's see if Curtis can match that Rick rage when he joins the "Walking Dead" universe.