"Empire" Season 3 will see a lot of drama, as Shyne Johnson (Lucious' antagonist, played by Xzibit) is set to be a series regular, while the young love of Lucious and Cookie will finally be revealed on the show.
According to Ecumenical News, Shyne will indeed be seen in the TV show more regularly. There hasn't been any official news yet as to how this will affect the plot and change Lucious' life, but it is guaranteed that since Shyne is Lucious' archenemy, he will definitely cause some tension and conflict in "Empire" Season 3.
According to "Empire" Season 3's showrunner Ilene Chaiken, the two characters have a long history of ill feelings towards each other, as the two have had numerous fights due to Lucious' betrayal. Moreover, Chaiken says that Shyne's character is not one to go down without a fight, as he is not afraid of prison or death.
Additionally, "Empire" Season 3 will throwback Lucious and Cookie's younger years and youthful romance. Although Lucious and Cookie are no longer together, the flashback scenes will shed light to the love and romance they once had. The young versions of the characters haven't been casted yet, but young Cookie is described as a "beautiful but innocent Catholic schoolgirl," while young Lucious has "his own sense of style" and an "incredible voice."
However, since "Empire" Season 2 saw Lucious marrying Annika, who is oddly the mother of his grandson, it is interesting and exciting to see how Lucious and Cookie met in their youth. The production team of "Empire" has yet to divulge the purpose behind this throwback story.
Meanwhile, according to The Boom Box, hip-hop artist French Montana and Birdman will be joining the cast of "Empire" Season 3. Show producer Lee Daniels shared a photo of the two celebrities with the show's director Sanaa Hamri, while they were filming on set. French Montana is going to play the role of Vaughn, a "music mogul" who is part of Lucious' powerful network of friends, while Birdman will appear as himself.
Fans can catch "Empire" Season 3 on Sept. 21 on FOX.