'Law & Order' Lures Terrence Howard

He may not have made it into Iron Man 2, but Terrance Howard will become a major part of another growing franchise. NBC says that the 41-year-old actor has signed on to star in Law & Order: Los Angeles.

Howard will play a deputy district attorney and share screentime with Alfred Molina, who was also recently added to the cast.

"I feel like manager of the 1961 Yankees. I have my Mantle and Maris," said creator Dick Wolf.

Howard was nominated for an Oscar for his work in Hustle & Flow. Recently, he lent his voice to the animated Disney movie The Princess and the Frog. According to IMDB, Howard has five additional movies coming out sometime within the next year.

Aside from Howard and Molina, the cast is rounding out nicely. Skeet Ulrich was the first to sign on. Corey Stoll (Salt) will join the cast as well.

Law & Order: Los Angeles premieres September 29, 2010. After that, the drama will air every Wednesday at 10:00 p.m. (EST) on NBC.