‘Nikita’ Comic-Con panel: Casting scoop! Plus… a Mikita shower scene?!

The Panel: Melinda Clarke, Aaron Stanford, Lyndsey Fonseca, Shane West, Maggie Q, and executive producer Craig Silverstein. Moderated by HuffPo’s Laura Prudom.

The Big Revelations: Many! The only way to break it down is by subject.

+ Owen’s ‘agenda’: Devon Sawa, who was recently promoted to series regular, will return in the fourth episode of the new season and all of the audience’s burning questions — like why he didn’t participate in the raid on Division — will be answered. “He’s going to come back with a mystery and an agenda,” said Silverstein.

+ Casting scoop: The bad guy in the first episode, which is set a month after the finale, will be played by Alcatraz alum Jeff Pierce, who played Jack Sylvane on the dearly departed show.

+ Nikita vs. Ryan? CIA agent Ryan Fletcher (Noah Bean) is another new regular on the show, and his dynamic with Nikita will be conflicted. “I think Nikita being behind a desk all day would have been less interesting for [fans], so as partners, there’s a [new] dynamic,” said Maggie Q. “As you know, Nikita has a huge problem with authority, and she has a new boss now…So she’s gotta make — this is not sexual — Ryan happy…They’re two characters with strong convictions. So we’ll see what happens there.”

+ Amanda’s tough time “She’s in the position Nikita was in the first season,” said Clarke, who will be sporting a new look this season. But though she’s feeling a little alone and in exile, that’s not likely to last a while. Rest assured, she’ll be back with a vengeance. “Amanda’s return is something we’re building up to,” said Silverstein.

+ Mikita: “We’re going to start off in a good place,” teases Maggie Q. But that won’t last. Silverstein teases, though, that the element that puts a new conflict into the relationship won’t come before fans get to see the pair hot and heavy in a big way. “You’re going to have a shower scene at some point,” he said to cheers.

Footage Screened: Nothing new, but the sizzle reel riled the crowd in a big way!

Snap Judgment: If fans came to the panel hoping for scoop on the upcoming season 3, this panel delivered.

Most Incisive Audience Question: One fans asked about how Division’s operatives would react to working with Nikita, who are her former enemies. And the question sparked a little extra scoop: “[It will be] awkward because she killed half of them,” joked Silverstein. “But obviously there are a few who have scores to settle.”

Least Incisive Audience Question: One fan’s extreme love for Fonseca (“I would marry you!”) was sweet — but awkward. “Are you fanning yourself?Because you’re making me nervous,” said the actress.

The Winner of the Panel: Maggie Q. for referring to big group scenes as “The Central Perk scenes,” and this quote: “Aaron smells like a baby.”