Adam Baldwin

It may take longer to unwind last season’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit cliff-hanger than we thought.

Law & Order: SVU’s Bloody Wake-Up Call — What’s Next?

SVU has cast Chuck and Firefly alum Adam Baldwin to play Capt. Steven Harris, the squad’s new interim captain, TVGuide.com has learned exclusively. He will take over the duties usually handled by Capt. Donald Cragen (Dann Florek), who is suspected of murder after he was last seen waking up next to a dead prostitute in SVU’s Season 13 finale.

Baldwin’s character is slated to appear in the new season’s first three episodes while Cragen’s fate is being determined. Needless to say, Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and the rest of the team are none-too-pleased to be taking orders from the new guy.

Criminal Minds’ Paget Brewster lands guest spot on SVU

Baldwin’s character will join previously announced guest star Paget Brewster, who will play the head of the Public Integrity Unit, which is handling Cragen’s case for the District Attorney’s office. Laura Benanti, Pippa Black, Peter Jacobson, Ron Rifkin, Brooke Smith, and Dean Winters are all expected to reprise their roles from the finale as well.

Besides his work on Chuck and Firefly, Baldwin has also recurred on such series as The X-Files and Angel. His most recent guest work includes gigs on Castle and Leverage.

SVU returns with a two-hour premiere on Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 9/8c on NBC.