Last week it appeared that Jessica Biel would play The Viper in The Wolverine, but talks broke down and with shooting starting relatively soon, filmmakers were left scrambling to find a replacement. Now they’ve cast Russian actress Svetlana Khodchenkova to play the role.

The actress has appeared in a slew of Russian productions, but she is best known stateside for portraying Irina in last year’s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. In many ways she’s a better fit for the role than Biel, as The Viper hails from an unknown Eastern European country. The character has a history with the title character throughout the Marvel comics – a friendly ally at times and a conniving enemy at others. It isn’t known exactly how the character will fit into The Wolverine plot.

James Mangold is directing from a screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie and Mark Bomback. The story picks up after X-Men Origins: Wolverine, following Logan (Hugh Jackman) to Japan, where he searches for more clues about his true identity. A July 26th, 2013 release date has already been set. (Source: Twitch)