Having not been on seen television since Castle ended last May, fans of Nathan Fillion would be pleased to know that he will be visible again on television, albeit in a different role - as the latest cast member of the acclaimed show, Modern Family.  

According to reports, Fillion is slated to appear on three episodes of the 8th season of Modern Family. 

During the Television Critics Association summer press tour last week, Steve Levitan, co-creator of Modern Family, revealed some new characters who will take to the screen in the upcoming season. Portraying the character of Rainer Shine, Fillion will be playing a weatherman on the show. Apart from Fillion, Martin Short, known for his role in Maya and Marty, will also be joining the cast of Modern Family in Season 8. 

More on Modern Family Season 8 Spoilers

Season 8 will focus on many storylines. Among them, viewers will catch up on what's going on at the Pritchett-Tucker house, with Mitch (played by Jesse Tyler Ferguson), Cam (played by Eric Stonestreet), and their daughter Lily (played by Aubrey Emmons), having recently returned from their vacation in Kansas. In the coming season, viewers will also discover whether Cam's grandmother will finally accept his relationship with Mitch. 

The previous season saw Haley (played by Sarah Hyland) and Andy (played by Adam DeVine) ending their relationship as he left in pursuit of his dream. With this, we might just be looking at a new love interest for Haley. 

Last season also saw Jay (played by Ed O'Neill) retiring and leaving his business to Claire (played by Julie Bowen), his daughter. But given his issues with power, will he really be able to relinquish total control to Claire? We can only wait and see. 

On the same note, how will Claire's return to the workforce full-time affect her relationship with husband, Phil (played by Ty Burrell)? It will be interesting to see how their relationship shifts with Claire possibly evolving from the so-called "invisible housewife" to becoming a corporate head honcho. 

With the airing date of season 8's first episode approaching soon, the cast members have taken to spending their last few weeks of freedom taking it easy, doing things that they enjoy.

Ty Burrell has recently hosted a fundraiser for the non-profit organization "Kids in the Spotlight," which aims to help young talents create their own short films. Burrell strongly believes that everybody should be granted the opportunity to having a voice, and having that voice heard within the television industry. Accordingly, with the help of the non-profit organization, he aims to empower creative youth who may be marginalized by society. 

Apart from Burrell, Ariel Winter was also reported to be enjoying the last few weeks before returning to the grind. She was seen in photos snapped while travelling, posed wearing a sexy swimsuite.

Fans can catch the premiere of Modern Family season 8 on Sept. 21 at 9:00 p.m. EST on ABC.