'Outlander' season 3 release date news, spoilers: New cast members named for season 3; Sam Heughan, Caitriona Balfe nominated for Critics Choice Awards

 starz.com/series/outlander

Starz's "Outlander" has been beefing up its cast for its upcoming season, which is expected to feature the epic Battle of Culloden, something fans have been waiting to see in the second season of the hit British-American drama series.

According to a report by IBTimes, Lord John Grey's (David Berry) first love has finally been cast and the role went to Jack Holden, a theater and film actor who has starred in movies like "Journey's End," "War Horse," and "Johnny Got His Gun." The actor will play the role of Hector, who will share a special bond with Lord John Grey during the Battle of Culloden.

The report cited that Holden's previous acting experiences could come in handy for portraying a role that would involve war and combat. Fans of the show seemed to have no complaints with the star's casting as the number of his Twitter followers surged with the announcement.

Meanwhile, "Mercy Street" alum Hannah James and newbie Tanya Reynolds have also been drafted to play the role of Geneva and Isobel Dunsany, respectively. Both women will play key roles in Jamie's storyline for the season, TVLine reported.

Based on the character descriptions, Geneva will be a beautiful and determined woman who has been spoiled by a protective family while her sister Isobel is the sweet, kindhearted and the usual girl-next-door type, Game and Guide reported.

Actor Cesar Domboy will also play the older version of Fergus, a French pickpocket who first appeared in season 2. The older Fergus is described as "a grown up man with extraordinarily handsome physical appearance and has developed a strong bond of loyalty and dignity in spite of his questionable background."

Meanwhile, lead stars Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe have been nominated for Critics Choice Awards, the official Outlander Twitter account announced.

The third season of the series — which is expected to release in 2017 — will be based on "Voyager," the third book in Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" saga.

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