'24: Legacy' Finds Its New Jack Bauer in a ‘Straight Outta Compton' Star

Corey Hawkins is saving the day in the planned Fox reboot.

Fox has found its new "24" hero.

On the heels of the announcement that the network is planning a reboot of its iconic real-time thriller with the new "24: Legacy" pilot, E! News can confirm that "Straight Outta Compton" actor Corey Hawkins has landed the brand-new lead role of Eric Carter.

"Strong and smart, Eric came from a very rough background and turned his life around in the Army Rangers," the official description reads. "Now back home in Virginia with his wife Nicole, he's pulled back into action as his past comes looking for him." Naturally, Eric has to turn to CTU for help saving his life, where he becomes involved in stopping what potentially could be one of the largest-scale terror attacks on American soil.

The total reboot was something of a surprise when it was announced just a week ago during the 2016 Winter TCA Press Tour. "24: Legacy" comes on the heels of the successful 2014 event series "24: Live Another Day," which saw the return of series regulars Kiefer Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Kim Raver and William Devane, but there are no plans to feature any of those familiar faces in the new story. "There's a time-jump, this is a new organization, a new cast of characters, a completely different story in terms of the special ops group we're focusing on," Fox boss Dana Walden told reporters at TCA. "It's a very contemporary story...activating sleeper cells in the United States. There are nods in the pilot to prior agents, there are a couple of photos that feel reminiscent of the original, but no ongoing characters."

Hawkins, who brought Dr. Dre to life in "Straight Outta Compton" last year, is currently recurring on "The Walking Dead" as Heath.

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