Alias fans who already thought Fox’s untitled spy-themed drama from writer Karyn Usher and director Brett Ratner sounded a bit like their cup o’ tea may freak out just a little upon reading this news: Angela Bassett is in late-stage discussions to join the cast of the potential series. She would play Alice Vargas, director of the Central Intelligence Agency. As diehard Alias fans might recall, Bassett did a four-episode arc during the fourth season of that show playing … CIA director Hayden Chase. We can only hope there are more similarities between the two shows, at least as long as they don’t involve anyone named Rimbaldi. Meanwhile, in other untitled Usher news, insiders also say former Nip/Tuck star Julian McMahon is also close to joining the series, playing a CIA spy who ends up serving as mentor/substitute dad to the show’s title character, played by Saxon Sharbino.