“Castle” Season 8 has yet to begin filming, but the new showrunners are already looking into casting a new character. Meanwhile, the exit of Captain Gates from the NYPD’s 12th Precinct has given way to some speculations among fans of the ABC dramedy procedural.

Spoiler alert: This update contains “Castle” spoilers. Read on at your own risk if you are not caught up.

“Castle” Season 8 will be importing a new character from LAPD. Casting process is underway as producers are choosing from “African-American or Hispanic actresses in their late 20s to play the part.” According to TV Line, this new character is a “security specialist.”

The same report pointed at speculations that Stana Katic’s Kate Beckett may need a security staff in relation to her senatorial bid arc -- in case it gets pushed through. (Beckett says in the Season 7 finale that she is mulling over running for New York state senator.) The new role would be a “fractional series regular,” which indicates she would appear in many episodes. However, “Castle” show bosses are not giving out more details just yet.

As one new character comes on board “Castle” Season 8, another character exits. Penny Johnson Jerald, who played Captain Victoria Gates from 2011, is not returning. The actress herself confirmed this on Twitter, saying she was “surprised and saddened” by the news. The update was met with disappointment from her Twitter feed’s followers.

“We will miss you terribly! Thank you for your dedication and love for the show,” tweeted “Castle” viewer Sav (@MaeShevawn). Other fans echoed the same sentiment on the reply board.

The departure of Captain Gates came unexpected among fans who held on to what program creator Andrew W. Marlowe said in one of his interviews. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly back in May, Marlowe said that if ABC would order “Castle” Season 8, “we would be coming back with all of our pieces intact.”

Some of the fans who are monitoring “Castle” Season 8 updates are inclined to believe that Captain Gates’ exit means a promotion for Kate Beckett at NYPD. More changes are now expected from new co-showrunners Terence Paul Winter and Alexi Hawley.

Let us know your thoughts on “Castle” Season 8. You may email your comments at a.paredes@ibtimes.com.au.

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