Charlie Hunnam‘s upcoming crime thriller on Prime Video will be similar to Sons of Anarchy in more ways than one and even have hints of other acclaimed shows like Breaking Bad. It has been over a decade since Sons of Anarchy ended its run. Even after all these years, however, it is considered one of the best things Hunnam has starred in, with Jax Teller being his most iconic on-screen character.
While Sons of Anarchy will likely not find a worthy replacement anytime soon, Charlie Hunnam’s upcoming show on Prime Video, Criminal, has the potential to fill the void. Based on Ed Brubaker’s comic book series of the same name, Criminal is packed with generational stories of crime that riff on traditional crime drama tropes while staying incredibly immersive and realistic.
In the upcoming show, Hunnam is set to play one of the leading characters, Leo Patterson, in season 1. As the original comic book series suggests, Criminal will be a unique addition to the genre in more ways than one. However, a closer look at it also reveals how it will appeal to those who are fascinated by morally complex characters like Walter White from Breaking Bad and Jax Teller from Sons of Anarchy.
Prime Video’s Criminal Will Be Charlie Hunnam’s SOA Replacement With Hints Of Breaking Bad
Unlike Sons of Anarchy‘s Jax Teller, Criminal‘s Leo Patterson is often seen as a coward who, despite being a thief, plays things a little too safe. Similar to Jax, though, Leo is always haunted by the shadow of his father’s legacy. Just like Jax Teller battles the ghost of his own father, John Teller, in Sons of Anarchy, Leo, too, struggles to live up to the reputation of his father.
Jax Teller’s desire to move SAMCRO away from illegal gun-running is very similar to Leo’s prioritization of using no guns or violence during high-stakes heists. They are both portrayed as morally complex men who wish to make things better for the people around them. To their dismay, their hyper-violent worlds never truly let them escape.
Criminal‘s similarities with Breaking Bad emerge when Leo Patterson operates on a strict set of rules during his criminal endeavors and puts his brain to good use to execute challenging heists. He is portrayed as a mastermind, like Walter White, who takes a hyper-calculated approach to illegal enterprises. Despite his best efforts, though, he, too, often finds himself in messy situations that disrupt his plans.
Just like Breaking Bad makes a whole character out of Albuquerque by introducing many players involved in its underbelly, Criminal is built on interconnected noir narratives. Every choice in the comic book series has consequences, which ripple down to many generations ahead.
If Criminal season 1 succeeds on Prime Video, it could set the stage for a vast Breaking Bad-esque franchise that expands its crime-ridden world by following different characters across multiple timelines. Considering the upcoming show’s clear parallels with Breaking Bad and Sons of Anarchy, it seems fair to say that it might find its place among some of the best modern crime thrillers out there.
Criminal Has The Potential To Be As Good As Breaking Bad & Sons Of Anarchy
One of Criminal‘s biggest strengths is that its original comic’s author, Ed Brubaker, is also its co-showrunner. Brubaker has also written its pilot episode, which further guarantees that it will stay true to the compelling comic books.
Considering how Brubaker has previously given us everything from the Winter Soldier storyline from Marvel to some of the best Batman and Catwoman runs of the 2000s, it is hard not to blindly trust his vision as a writer.
Prime Video’s established history of delivering some of the best crime thriller shows, like Bosch, Reacher, Cross, and Jack Ryan, also spells promise for Criminal. Apart from having Charlie Hunnam as one of its leads, Criminal‘s cast also includes several other big names, like Emilia Clarke, Gus Halper, Dominic Burgess, and Kadeem Hardison, among others.
Criminal was expected to premiere on Prime Video in 2026, but it does not have an official release date yet.
Even its co-showrunner, Jordan Harper, is known for writing some incredibly compelling crime fiction novels like She Rides Shotgun and Everybody Knows. Like the original comics, Prime Video’s Criminal can also unfold as a multi-generational anthology, with each season featuring standalone stories and new compelling leads like Charlie Hunnam.
While it is too soon to predict how the Charlie Hunnam series on Prime Video will eventually turn out, it has the potential to become the next big crime thriller like Breaking Bad and Sons of Anarchy if done well.
