Charlie HunnamandEmilia Clarkeare the leads in an upcoming crime drama series, which seems to have the potential to become the perfectBreaking Badreplacement.Breaking Badhas gone down in history as one of the most compelling crime drama series of all time, and no show since its release has come close to matching its brilliance. While many acclaimedshows, like Netflix’sOzark, have been compared with the hit series,Breaking Badis yet to find a worthy replacement.
Given howBreaking Badis often touted as peak television, it seems unlikely that any show will be able to replace it anytime soon. However, from the looks of it, an upcoming crime drama, based on an acclaimed comic book series, might have the potential to matchBreaking Bad’s success in more ways than one. Only time will tell how the upcoming show will turn out, but with Charlie Hunnam and Emilia Clarke as its leads, it already seems to be heading in the right direction.
The Original Comics Are Thematically Similar To Breaking Bad
Written by Ed Brubaker and illustrated by Sean Phillips, theCriminalcomic book serieshas been picked up by Amazon Prime Video for a TV adaptation. The comics' acclaim is enough to highlight the upcoming show’s potential. However, what makes it seem even more promising is that the original author, Ed Brubaker, is involved with the project as its co-showrunner. Interestingly, the stories in theCriminalcomics share thematic similarities withBreaking Bad.
Similar toBreaking Bad, theCriminalcomics are also often praised for their focus on characters instead of the acts of crime themselves, making compelling cautionary tales.
For instance, in bothBreaking BadandCriminal,crime is portrayed as a slow, inevitable descent, where characters initially do not wish to cross a moral boundary until they actually do. In the show and the comic, the impact of one crime also echoes into the lives of many characters, across several generations, creating a massive domino effect that forces many to deal with a web of consequences. Similar toBreaking Bad, theCriminalcomics are also often praised for their focus on characters instead of the acts of crime themselves, making compelling cautionary tales.
The originalCriminalcomics also do not shy away from featuring violence and powerful imagery that stays with the reader long after the final page is turned. LikeBreaking Bad, the Criminal comics do not merely walk through a series of gritty noir narratives. Instead,they set the mood by gradually walking through a character’s moral decay or inability to escape from past mistakes. Owing to these factors, it is hard not to see howCriminalcould be a worthyBreaking Badreplacement.
Emilia Clarke & Charlie Hunnam’s Roles In Criminal Explained
Both Will Be Among The Main Leads In The Upcoming Series
Charlie Hunnam has been cast to play Leo Pattersonin the Prime Video show. In the original comics, Patterson is a talented thief who knows how to find his way around tight situations and high-stakes heists. However, what truly makes him an intriguing protagonist is that he also never outstays his welcome. Unlike most criminals, he avoids taking risks and masters the art of escaping a crime scene before it is too late. He is often touted as a coward because of his cautiousness, but his past and father’s mistakes have taught him some crucial lessons.
Emilia Clarke has been cast to play Mallory, who appears in Issues #6-10, titledLawless, of the original comics. Mallory is portrayed as a complex character whose relationship with a former soldier, Tracy (played by Luke Evans in the upcoming show), is fraught with immense tension. The more the story progresses, the more it becomes evident that Mallory is not who Tracy thinks she is, as her story ties into one of the most defining moments of his life.
Since bothCharlie HunnamandEmilia Clarkehave an established history of convincingly playing diverse, well-written characters, they seem to be perfect fits for the Prime Video series. It may be too soon to draw any comparisons betweenBreaking BadandCriminal. However, even ifCriminaldoes not become a worthyBreaking Badreplacement, it will likely find its own place in the crime drama genre.
Criminal
Based on the comic series, Criminal is an action crime series developed by Ed Brubaker and Jordan Harper for Prime Video. This adaptation follows various characters within and adjacent to a bustling criminal underworld and comprises several arcs that occasionally intersect. The series was greenlit by Amazon in 2024.
Breaking Bad
Cast
Breaking Bad, created by Vince Gilligan, follows a chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin named Walter White (Bryan Cranston) as he attempts to provide for his family following a fatal diagnosis. With nothing left to fear, White ascends to power in the world of drugs and crime, transforming the simple family man into someone known only as Heisenberg.
