'Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 12 Spoilers: Derek Shepherd’s Replacement Revealed? Martin Henderson's Character To Be Introduced In Premiere

Is there a doctor in the house? Although Patrick Dempsey’s beloved character, Derek Shepherd, was killed off of “Grey’s Anatomy” during the show’s eleventh season, a new scalpel-donning hunk has been cast to breathe life into the Shonda Rhimes-created series when the show returns this fall.

TVLine reports that Martin Henderson will scrub in for the deceased surgeon when the hit ABC medical drama debuts its Season 12 premiere on Thursday, September 24. The New Zealand-native, who recently starred in the ABC series “Secrets & Lies” as Ben, will portray the recurring role of a Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital surgeon.

Rhimes prepared audiences for a drastic change to take place in the show in April when she revealed to fans that “Grey’s Anatomy” was going to enter “uncharted territory” following Derek’s tragic demise.

“Now, Meredith and the entire ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ family are about to enter uncharted territory as we head into this new chapter of her life,” Rhimes explained in a statement. “The possibilities for what may come are endless. As Ellis Grey would say: The carousel never stops turning."

McDreamy was pronounced brain dead in episode 21 after being involved in a horrific car crash that took place in the installment titled “How to Save a Life.” Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) was then forced to take her husband off of life support in one of the most tear-jerking scenes in “Grey’s Anatomy” history.

"Derek Shepherd is and will always be an incredibly important character -- for Meredith, for me, and for the fans," Rhimes said, adding that she “absolutely never imagined saying goodbye to our ‘McDreamy.’”

This won’t be the first time Rhimes and Henderson work together on a series. The two briefly joined forces on the ABC medical series “Off the Map,” which ran for one season in 2011 before getting canceled. Henderson took on the role of a doctor named Ben who was described as “one of the world’s greatest humanitarians.”

“Grey’s Anatomy” will air its Season 12 premiere on Thursday, September 24, at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.