Despite a rocky second season, HBO is moving ahead with plans for another installment of True Detective, and the network is looking to hedge its bets by recruiting some top-tier talent. Deadwood creator David Milch was brought aboard to assist True Detective creator/writer Nic Pizzolatto in the creative process. Now comes word from Variety that  Mahershala Ali is in talks to star in the forthcoming third season.

Surprisingly, Ali has a relatively light schedule lined up in the wake of his Academy Award-winning performance in Moonlight. If he were to come aboard, he would the show’s first African American lead.

At this point, plot details are being kept under wraps and no other actors are attached to the new season, though Matthew McConaughey has expressed his desire to return as troubled detective Rustin “Rust” Cohle. Pizzolatto reportedly began working on a script back in March.