After weeks of speculation and months of mindless rumors, it’s finally official: Watchmen has a cast. Both of the major Hollywood rags are reporting what’s been all but confirmed by websites over the last few weeks, making this Watchmen story the first completely official thing since the project got picked back up from abandonment a few years ago.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan has been confirmed as The Comedian, the former masked crime-fighter whose murder initiates the story.

Jackie Earle Haley has been confirmed for Rorschach, the vigilante who ignores the ban on costumed characters and continues to fight crime, leading to his discovery of the threat against masked characters, which is essentially the starting point for Watchmen’s story.

Billy Crudup has been confirmed as Dr. Manhattan, the single super-powered member of the story. Due to a scientific accident, Manhattan has the ability to control matter on a molecular level, among other super-powers, but suffers from reduced humanity.

Malin Akerman has been confirmed as Laurie Juspeczyk, aka The Silk Spectre. Not only a former mask, Laurie is in a rapidly unwinding relationship with Dr. Manhattan.

Patrick Wilson has been confirmed for Dan Dreiberg, aka The Nite-Owl (we knew this yesterday), a masked character who flies around in an owl themed ship. He is the character Laurie turns to as her relationship with Dr. Manhattan deteriorates.

Finally, Matthew Goode, and not Jude Law, has been confirmed as Adrien Veidt, aka Ozymandias, a billionaire who turns to more philanthropic pursuits after the ban on masks goes into effect.

Expect more news to come from Comic-Con, where, frankly, I expect they’ll probably haul a lot of these actors out for the first time, together.

Shooting on The Watchmen will begin in the fall.