The cast of Marvel Studios’ upcoming 13-episode Daredevil series for Netflix just gained even more respectability (and a hint of loveliness) with the just-announced addition of actress Rosario Dawson.

Best known for her performances in the Sin City movies, Grindhouse, and the recent indie Cesar Chavez, Dawson will play an unknown character described by Marvel as “a dedicated young woman whose quest to heal the wounds of Hell’s Kitchen brings Matt Murdock unexpectedly crashing into her life, while her own journey forever alters the course of his battle against the injustices of this broken city.” The role is pivotal to the series and Dawson will appear in multiple episodes.

She joins already-cast British actor Charlie Cox (Boardwalk Empire) as Matt Murdock and his nocturnal crime-fighting alter ego Daredevil, and Vincent D’Onofrio (Full Metal Jacket) as powerful crime lord Wilson Fisk, better known to comic fans as the Kingpin. Will Dawson be playing a character from the comics like Karen Page, or one created specifically for the series? It might be far-fetched to think she was cast as Elektra, but you never know.

Production of the new series is being overseen by Steven S. DeKnight, a producer on shows such as Spartacus: War of the Damned and Smallville, after previous showrunner Drew Goddard quit last month to focus on directing the Spider-Man spinoff feature The Sinister Six for Sony Pictures. Goddard will reportedly retain a writing credit on the pilot episode.

Daredevil, or Marvel’s Daredevil as it’s officially titled by the studio, will serve as part of a larger universe comprised of shows based around Marvel Comics’ street-level superheroes including AKA Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage that will conclude when the heroes unite in the epic miniseries The Defenders. The series will premiere on Netflix sometime next year.

[Source: Marvel]