"The Young and the Restless" (Y&R) fans must brace themselves for the return of their favourite character Adam Newman. After long discussions and speculations, CBS's long-running day time soap opera has finally recruited Michael Muhney's replacement, who will bring back the Newman thought to be dead by Genoa City residents.

The "Smallville" actor Justin Hartley has earned the much talked about role of Michael Muhney in "The Young and the Restless" (Y&R). TV Guide Magazine broke the news. He will be replacing Michael Muhney who was reportedly fired from the show in the wake of allegations of sexually harassing the much younger co-star Hunter King.

Justin Hartley is a 37-year-old American actor known for his roles such as Fox Crane in "Passions," Oliver Queen in "Smallville" and recurring roles in "Revenge" and "Mistresses."

"I am so pumped about joining "Y&R"- I watch it all the time and can't wait to get in there and get my hands dirty," Justin Hartley said while talking about his new job as reported by TV Guide.

"I have great respect for daytime drama. I love the branding. I love the style. What can I say? I love good soap!" Justin Hartley continued.

TV actor Justin Hartley, who launched his TV acting career in 2002, says that "it's all about story and character" for him. It doesn't matter to him if the job is on "daytime or primetime" TV. He says that all he need is "a good character and someone to listen" for him to do his job.

Justin Hartley revealed that he has already spoken to "The Young and the Restless" (Y&R)" executive producer Jill Farren Phelps and CBS Daytime head Angelica McDaniel about the role of Adam Newman. However, the actor is reportedly slightly "nervous" given the show's popularity and its "No.1" daytime soap opera status. He also feels that the "acting company is exceptional." He feels the job requires him to be nothing less than "fantastic."

Justin Hartley hails from Illinois where he grew up with one brother and two sisters. The actor graduated from University of Illinois at Chicago and earned the degree in history and theatre. Besides drama, Hartley also has an experience of starring in superhero shows. The actor led CW's 2006 TV Pilot "Aquaman." The show, however, was not picked by the network. The actor has also appeared in hit shows like "CSI: NY," "Chuck" and Castle.

As for his personal life, Justin Hartley was married for eight years to his "Passion" co-star Lindsay Korman. The couple split in the year 2012.

It is reported that the actor will begin filming for the show in late Sept and bring back Adam Newman to the screen sometime in Nov.

Michael Muhney's Adam Newman was last seen on Jan. 30, 2014 episode of "The Young and the Restless" (Y&R). The character was involved in an explosive accident along with Billy Miller's Billy Abbott. Fans know that Adam Newman is somewhere out there spying his wife Chelsea and enemy Billy Abbott as he remains a faceless entity.

Meanwhile, Michael Muhney took to Twitter to clear the air and tell the truth about allegations that cost him his job on "The Young and the Restless" (Y&R). Addressing the issue, he informed millions of his fans that it was nothing but a "salacious rumour." He tweeted

RT @DannieAsphall: So does that mean the rumours were false? #YR YES. IT WAS ONLY A SALACIOUS RUMOR.

— Muhney (@michaelmuhney) August 14, 2014

It remains to be seen if fans will accept Justin Hartley in the role of Adam Newman. Would they love Justin Hartley just the way they loved Michael Muhney. Meanwhile, fan-favourite Michael Muhney took time to congratulate and pass on his heartfelt wishes to Justin Hartley. He wrote on Twitter:

I really like Justin Hartley. He's a good guy. We really get along well. I wish him the best. Be kind to him. #goodguy — Muhney (@michaelmuhney) August 19, 2014

For more updates and spoilers from "The Young and the Restless" (Y&R), read below:

For more spoilers and updates on "The Young and the Restless," read below:

'The Young and the Restless' Star Michael Muhney Reveals The Truth About Harassment Allegations; Find Out If He Will Return To 'Y&R'

The Young and the Restless (Y&R) Aug. 11-15 Spoilers: Updates on Phyllis, Billy, Chelsea, Hilary, Devon and Neil and More

'The Young And The Restless' (Y&R) Aug. 18-22 Spoilers: Updates On Chelsea, Billy, Victoria, Hilary, Devon, Mariah, Sharon, Nick And Phyllis