For fans who’ve missed seeing Charlie Hunnam operating in a shadier, morally compromised atmosphere akin to his iconic run as Jax Teller on Sons of Anarchy, the actor’s latest TV role sounds like the perfect fit. Hunnam has been tapped to headline Criminal, an upcoming Amazon Prime Video crime thriller series based on the popular graphic novel series of the same name by Ed Brubaker.
In the noir-tinged drama, Hunnam will portray Leo, described as “a brilliant master thief who sees all the angles and specializes in plans with no guns and no violence.” The character’s methodical, strategic approach to orchestrating intricate heists while avoiding unnecessary bloodshed seems to parallel aspects of Hunnam’s star-making turn as the cunning antihero Jax Teller, who walked the line between ruthless outlaw and principled leader of the SAMCRO motorcycle club.
However, one key difference already apparent is Leo’s aversion to open violence, a stark contrast to the often explosive events of Sons of Anarchy’s biker gang wars. “Like a chess player, Leo thinks three moves ahead,” the logline reads. “Other crooks think he’s a coward, especially compared to his father Tommy, who went to jail for murdering the most feared man in the city, Teeg Lawless.”
This suggestion of a complex family legacy driving Leo’s ambitions further evokes shades of Jax’s own struggles to reconcile his criminal path with the weighty specter of his father’s founding vision for the outlaw motorcycle club. While a far cry from leather-clad bikers, Hunnam will again seemingly inhabit a brilliant yet flawed figure caught between dueling senses of morality and loyalty.
Joining Hunnam in the Criminal ensemble are castmates Kadeem Hardison, Adria Arjona, and Richard Jenkins, setting the stage for an intricate web of deceit and double-crosses befitting the noir genre. The series hails from Legendary Television, marking another high-profile collaboration for Hunnam after starring in the studio’s blockbuster Pacific Rim films.
For viewers who came to appreciate Hunnam’s ability to portray an outwardly cool, charismatic antihero concealing roiling internal conflicts during his tenure on Sons of Anarchy, Criminal already shapes up as an enticing next chapter. While the narrative paths will certainly diverge, there’s an undeniable spiritual connection in seeing the actor embody yet another masterful criminal strategist forced to grapple with complex notions of morality and loyalty.
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Fans starved for Hunnam’s return to edgier crime drama terrain can look forward to his entrance into Amazon’s gritty graphic novel adaptation when more details on Criminal’s premiere emerge.
