It's been six years since he last hit the small screen, but Tom Welling is set to make a grand return in the third series of Fox's 'Lucifer' coming this Fall. The announcement was made by the show's producers over the weekend at San Diego Comic-Con. 

Tom Welling at 'Draft Day' premiereTom Welling at 'Draft Day' premiere

On Saturday (July 22nd 2017), it was revealed that the 40-year-old - who played Clark Kent in the TV series 'Smallville' which ended back in 2011 - will be playing something of a rival to lead actor Tom Ellis' character Lucifer Morningstar, who is the Devil on Earth helping the LAPD to solve crimes.

Tom Welling will play a police lieutenant named Marcus Pierce; a hugely respected professional man whose methods of dealing with crimes logically and by the book is deeply at odds with Lucifer's own system of law enforcement. 

He's also just as handsome as Lucifer and just as beguiling, so when he starts to take an interest in Detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German), Lucifer really starts to live up to his title. It's just the distraction he needs when he's occupied with trying to find out who kidnapped him, how he ended up in a desert and why he has his angel wings back.

Since 'Smallville', the Teen Choice Award winning Tom Welling has appeared in three movies; 2013's John F. Kennedy film 'Parkland' in which he played Roy Kellerman, 2014 sports drama 'Draft Day' which starred Kevin Costner and a 2016 romance based on the Nicholas Sparks novel 'The Choice' opposite Benjamin Walker and Teresa Palmer. Plus, while he was working on 'Smallville' (where he also acted as a producer and director), he was also executive producing Kevin Murphy's cheerleading drama 'Hellcats'. 

More: When 'Lucifer' premiered on Fox

Tom will make his first 'Lucifer' appearance in season 3 episode 2 'Mr. & Mrs. Mazikeen Smith'.

'Lucifer' returns to Fox on October 2nd 2017.