"The Vampire Diaries" alum Ian Somerhalder is returning to familiar turf with "V-Wars," which got a 10-episode straight-to-series order from Netflix. At least this time Somerhalder is not playing a vampire. Instead, The Hollywood Reporter says, he'll play Dr. Luther Swann, and also direct some episodes.

Here's more on the series:

"[Dr. Luther Swann] enters a world of horror when a mysterious disease transforms his best friend, Michael Fayne, into a murderous predator who feeds on other humans. As the disease spreads and more people are transformed, society fractures into opposing camps pitting normal people against the growing number of these vampires. Swann races against time to understand what's happening, while Fayne rises to become the powerful underground leader of the vampires."

It's not clear yet who'll be playing Fayne. The series is based on the IDW novel of the same name, by author Jonathan Maberry.

IDW Entertainment President David Ozer shared a statement:

"We could not have dreamed of a better choice than Ian Somerhalder to bring his keen understanding of this genre from his years of starring in The Vampire Diaries to lead the cast of V-Wars as Dr. Luther Swann and to be a creative force on this series, as well as to serve as a director this season. We are thrilled to partner with Netflix to bring the multifaceted world that Jonathan Maberry created to audiences worldwide."

Ian Somerhalder -- who is married to "Twilight" actress Nikki Reed -- played Damon Salvatore on "The Vampire Diaries" from 2009 to 2017. He also became a producer on the show, and directed a few episodes.

According to THR, another IDW adaptation, "Locke & Key," is waiting on a new home after Hulu passed on the pilot. Maybe Netflix will snap it up?

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