Vikings casts key new character for season 6 

returns for its fifth season in November, and the network just announced that the show will be returning for a sixth season — so fans have a total of 40 episodes still to come (at least!). Given the show’s long list of character fatalities, it’s unclear which cast members will survive the upcoming season. But now we know about at least one

EW has confirmed the news, originally reported by Deadline, that Russian actor Danila Kozlovsky will join 

. He’ll be playing the historical figure Oleg of Novgorod, also known as “Oleg the Prophet,” a Viking prince who conquered some cities (and tried to conquer many more).

Oleg was a Varangian, a name given to the Vikings by the Greeks and Slavs. The Varangians sailed the rivers of modern-day Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus – so the addition of Oleg to the 

ensemble strongly implies that the show’s world will expand further east.

Kozlovsky actually starred in a Russian film last year called 

(see the photo above), where he played Vladimir the Great, a descendant-successor to Oleg the Prophet. Though better known in Russia, he’s had a couple noteworthy releases in American theaters, playing the love interest in 

begins shooting this fall. Season 5 debuts in November and will feature new series regular Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and a trip to the Sahara.

1 \'Supernatural\' season 13: See the first look at Michael\'s return

2 \'Narcos\': The real Jorge Salcedo talks about what the show gets right

3 \'Survivor\': Jeff Probst wants the show to stay in Fiji permanently

4 Lauren Graham posted the best message after Alexis Bledel\'s Emmy win

5 Hallmark Christmas Movies: Premiere dates for 12 films