A new show with Charlie Hunnam and Emilia Clarke on its roster is about to continue a fascinating trend for Prime Video. When it comes to their acting careers, Charlie Hunnam and Emilia Clarke have had significantly different trajectories. Although both are household names, their paths as actors have never collided until now.

While Charlie Hunnam is best known for his roles in Sons of Anarchy, Pacific Rim, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, and, more recently, Rebel Moon, Emilia Clarke’s most recognizable work is in Secret Invasion, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and Game of Thrones. Since the two actors have been involved in distinct movie projects and television shows so far, it would be exciting to see them share the screen in Prime Video’s upcoming show. However, what is even more enthralling about the series is that it will have one core ingredient that many successful Prime Video shows share.

Criminal Is Continuing Prime Video’s Exciting Comic Book Adaptation Trend

Prime Video’s Comic Book Investments Have Been Paying Dividends

Instead of adapting mainstream comic books, Prime Video has been taking lesser-known/indie comic book IPs and turning them into big-budget shows. Given how two of the biggest IPs on the streaming giant, The Boys and Invincible, are also based on comic books, the approach has been working wonders for Prime Video. Owing to this, it is not surprising that the streamer is not holding itself back from picking up other comic books and bringing them to the small screen. With its upcoming show, Criminal, Prime Video will continue this comic book trend.

Although many details surrounding the live-action adaption are unknown, reports confirm that Emily Clarke and Charlie Hunnam will be among its leads. The show will also feature several other big names and familiar faces, like Adria Arjona, Richard Jenkins, Pat Healy, and John Hawkes. As per reports, the original Criminal comics’ author, Ed Brubaker, has been involved with the project since its inception and even wrote the screenplay for its premiere. He is also the co-showrunner with Jordan Harper, and Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck recently hopped on board as the show’s first four episodes’ directors.

How Criminal Is Different From The Boys & Invincible

Criminal Is Grounded In Realism

Unlike The Boys & Invincible, Criminal does not revolve around morally ambiguous super-powered individuals. Instead, as its title suggests, it is more of a crime noir comic series that grounds its action, drama, and mysteries in realism. In the comic book series, author Ed Brubaker and illustrator Sean Phillips create a web of interconnected narratives that follow everyone from mobsters to corrupt police officers, from veterans to petty thieves. Although the comics’ overall world-building takes time to fully unfold, its taut storytelling and compelling individual crime stories are enough to keep one hooked.

While it is unclear how the show will adapt the comics, Ed Brubaker’s involvement with the TV series suggests it will tread the same path as the source material and walk through all the intertwined generations of crime that unfold throughout the series. Owing to the abundance of source material, Criminal could even last longer than The Boys and Invincible if its initial seasons perform well. Regardless of how the Prime Video show will approach the source material, with Emilia Clarke and Charlie Hunnam as its leads and Brubaker as co-showrunner, Criminal seems like a promising project.