Katherine Heigl
“Grey’s Anatomy” alum Katherine Heigl will play the series regular role of Samantha Wheeler in Season 8 of USA Network’s “Suits.” Pictured: Heigl arrives at the premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures’ “New Year’s Eve” at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on Dec. 5, 2011 in Hollywood, California. Getty Images/Kevin Winter

Katherine Heigl is joining Pearson Specter Litt.

USA Network announced on Wednesday that Heigl was cast in a series regular role for the just picked up Season 8 of “Suits.” Heigl will play the role of Samantha Wheeler, a talented new partner at Pearson Specter Litt who challenges the status quo and will either become the firm’s greatest ally or most powerful enemy.

“Suits” creator and executive producer Aaron Korsh first teased Heigl’s role during the show’s Season 8 renewal announcement on Tuesday. “Keep an eye out for an adversarial new character that will give Harvey (Gabriel Macht) a run for his money,” Korsh said (via Deadline) at the time.

In addition to Macht, Heigl joins other “Suits” returning cast members Sarah Rafferty (Donna Paulsen), Rick Hoffman (Louis Litt), and new series regular Dulé Hill (Alex Williams).

“On behalf of the entire ‘Suits’ team, I am extraordinarily excited to welcome Katherine Heigl into our family — I have always been a big fan of her work and was delighted to discover she was an avid ‘Suits’ fan herself,” Korsh said in a statement. “I cannot wait to have her come play with our entire cast and crew. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Harvey, Louis, Donna, and Alex as the mysterious Samantha Wheeler is a direct threat to their status quo. One thing is for sure — Samantha’s wit, charm, loyalty, strength, and vulnerability will all be put to the test as she muscles her way into the firm currently known as Pearson Specter Litt.”

“Joining ‘Suits’ was the perfect organic way to not only collaborate with an EP I admire deeply, but to also become part of a show and cast that I am an immense fan of,” Heigl said in a statement. “I have watched ‘Suits’ from the very beginning and feel incredibly lucky to be the newest member of the Pearson Specter Litt family.”

Heigl is best known for her Emmy-winning and Golden Globe-nominated role as Izzie Stevens on the ABC medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy.” She also starred on NBC’s “State of the Nation” and CBS’ “Doubt.” On the film side, Heigl appeared in “Knocked Up,” “One for the Money,” and “The Ugly Truth.”

While Korsh wouldn’t share a lot of plot details about Season 8 of “Suits,” he did tease to Deadline that the new season “will have everything from shifting alliances and internal power plays, to secrets, betrayals and fiery relationships.”

Season 8 begins production this April in Toronto, while Season 7 resumes this spring, with new episodes premiering on Wednesday, March 28 at 9 p.m. EDT on USA Network.