Candice Patton has signed on to star as Iris West in The CW pilot The Flash, a spin-off of their hit series Arrow.

The news comes just days after the network officially ordered the pilot. The project was initially set to have a back-door pilot, which would air as a Season 2 episode of Arrow, before the network decided to go with a traditional pilot in November.

Iris West is the fast-talking best friend of Barry Allen (Grant Gustin), who, in the DC Comics, eventually became his wife, although it isn't known if they are taking that same route in the series. Barry Allen is a Central City forensics investigator who debuted in two previous Season 2 episodes of Arrow, when he came to Starling City to investigate a series of unexplained robberies. Iris is the daughter of Central City's Detective West (Jesse L. Martin), who has served as Barry's surrogate father over the years. Danielle Panabaker also stars in the pilot as S.T.A.R. Labs bioengineeer Caitlin Snow, with Rick Cosnett playing Central City Detective Eddie Thawne.

It isn't known when production will begin on the pilot episode, which David Nutter is directing from a script by creators Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg and Geoff Johns.

Candice Patton is best known for playing Tori in the BET series The Game.