David Tennant's star is truly on the rise after a string of hugely accomplished performances - most notably ITV's Broadchurch - and the Scottish actor has now landed a major new role in the U.S.

David TennantDavid Tennant [center right] starred in the U.S. remake of Broadchurch, Gracepoint

The former Doctor Who star will play the villain in Marvel's new Netflix series A.K.A Jessica Jones. The show stars Krysten Ritter as a former superhero turned New York City detective who covers cases involving people with extraordinary powers. Tennant will play Kilgrave, a shadowy character from Jessica's past who threatens her present day life.

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 "I'm so honored and excited by the prospect of David inhabiting this multifaceted character," said showrunner Melissa Rosenberg, "He can deliver the most heart-wrenching moment to the driest of lines, and all points in between. He'll make Kilgrave a truly original villain."

"Anyone familiar with David's work knows he brings an incredible level of dedication to any role he inhabits, a level we knew we would need from the man playing Kilgrave," said Jeph Loeb, Executive Producer/Marvel's Head of Television. "While most know him for his roles as a hero, we can't wait to unleash a whole new side of this talented actor."

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A.K.A Jessica Jones is slate to air later in 2015 and is one of four Marvel series' in production at Netflix - the others being Daredevil, Iron Fist and Luke Cage, as well as the miniseries The Defenders.

Tennant rose to fame as the Tenth Doctor in the BBC hit series "Doctor Who," and most recently gained critical acclaim for his performance as Detective Inspector Hardy in "Broadchurch". He also starred in the American adaptation, "Gracepoint."