Bodyguard Season 2 release date, cast, storyline, trailer release, and everything you need to know
The wildly popular British political thriller Bodyguard took the world by storm in 2018 with its tense, gripping storyline following a war veteran tasked with protecting a controversial politician. Fans have eagerly awaited news of Bodyguard Season 2 since the jaw-dropping season 1 finale. While details have been scarce, there are rumors that the creative wheels are turning behind the scenes on the next chapter of this bold, Emmy-nominated series.
As the whirlwind success of season 1 proved, creator Jed Mercurio has tapped into something genuinely compelling with Bodyguard. The series attracted millions of viewers in the UK and internationally through its distribution on Netflix. Its masterful storytelling and Richard Madden’s powerhouse performance as the lead, David Budd, made Bodyguard appointment television. The high stakes, stunning plot twists, and exploration of relevant issues like government surveillance and PTSD made it a cultural phenomenon.
Bodyguard Season 2 Release Date:
Officially, the BBC has not yet renewed Bodyguard for a second season. However, the overwhelming popularity and critical acclaim of season 1 make a renewal seem inevitable. Statements from the creative team indicate the “creative process” for season 2 is underway, but tangible work like script writing and production is still quite a ways off.
Given creator Jed Mercurio’s schedule juggling his other hit show, Line of Duty, and the time required for developing a complicated political thriller like Bodyguard, it appears unlikely season 2 would arrive before 2025 at the absolute earliest. Mercurio has declined to speculate on a release window, acknowledging the many complex factors in scheduling a show of this scale.
The availability of the lead actor, Richard Madden, could also affect timing. The Game of Thrones alum has been juggling multiple high-profile film projects recently. However, Madden has expressed enthusiasm about reprising his career-defining role as David Budd whenever Mercurio is ready.
Bodyguard Series Storyline Overview:
Season 1 of Bodyguard introduced viewers to David Budd, a war veteran now working as a Specialist Protection Officer with the Metropolitan Police in London. Despite his struggles with PTSD from his military service, Budd is assigned as the principal protection officer for the ambitious Home Secretary Julia Montague.
Montague is a controversial figure pushing for aggressive new surveillance legislation that has earned her many powerful enemies. A tense cat-and-mouse game ensues as Budd grudgingly takes on his duty to protect her despite vehemently disagreeing with her politics. Terror attacks, assassination attempts, and a vast conspiracy at the highest levels of government all come into play.
The twisting plot culminates with a tense standoff as Budd finds himself involuntarily strapped into an explosive suicide vest by criminal masterminds determined to silence Montague. While he ultimately clears his name and reunites with his family, Montague tragically dies in a bombing during the pulse-pounding final episode.
Bodyguard Season 2 Expected Storyline:
With Montague dead and the conspiracy she uncovered seemingly resolved, season 2 will likely tell an entirely new, self-contained story. Star Richard Madden has hinted Budd may not even return to his protection officer role with the police, saying, “He can’t really slip back into police work again” after the events of season 1.
Creator Jed Mercurio has suggested that season 2 could reboot the premise in an anthology style, perhaps by seeing Budd protecting a new principal figure, such as a royal family member or a foreign dignitary. This would allow Bodyguard to explore contemporary issues and threats while building on Budd’s compelling emotional arc from season 1.
Some longtime Bodyguard fans hope the new season could continue wrapping up a few unresolved threads from season 1, like the mysterious MI5 operative code-named “Longcross” who escaped. Or perhaps we’ll see the fallout from Budd exposing the crime syndicate’s corruption within the police ranks. However, a fresh start seems more likely for the high-concept series.
Bodyguard Series List of Cast Members:
- Richard Madden as David Budd
- Keeley Hawes as Julia Montague
- Gina McKee as Commander Anne Sampson
- Sophie Rundle as Vicky Budd
- Vincent Franklin as Mike Travis MP
- Paul Ready as Rob MacDonald
- Nicholas Gleaves as Roger Penhaligon MP
- Pippa Haywood as CS Lorraine Craddock
- Tom Brooke as Andy Apsted
- Matt Stokoe as Luke Aikens
- Stuart Bowman as Stephen Hunter-Dunn
- Ash Tandon as DCI Deepak Sharma
- Nina Toussaint-White as DS Louise Rayburn
Bodyguard Season 2 List of Episodes:
Episode titles and details for Bodyguard Season 2 have not been released yet, as the season is still in the early stages of development. Season 1 consisted of 6 episodes.
- Episode No. 1: Episode 1
- Episode No. 2: Episode 2
- Episode No. 3: Episode 3
- Episode No. 4: Episode 4
- Episode No. 5: Episode 5
- Episode No. 6: Episode 6
Bodyguard Series Creators Team:
Bodyguard is the creation of writer and showrunner Jed Mercurio, the acclaimed creator behind the hit BBC crime drama Line of Duty. Mercurio wrote every episode of the first season.
World Productions produced the series for the BBC. Key production team members included executive producers Simon Heath, Jed Mercurio, Elizabeth Kilgarriff, and producer Priscilla Parish. Thomas Vincent and John Strickland split directing duties for the six episodes.
Composers Ruth Barrett and Ruskin Williamson provided the gripping musical score for Bodyguard. John Lee helmed the series’ cinematography, and Steve Singleton and Andrew John McClelland edited it.
On the creative side, Mercurio has been transparent that any future seasons would heavily involve him guiding the new storylines and creative direction, given his intimate knowledge of Budd’s character. However, concrete details are still tightly under wraps as planning remains in the nascent stages.
Where to Watch Bodyguard Season 2?
While season 2 is not yet available to watch, fans can quickly revisit or catch up with Bodyguard season 1 in a few ways:
In the UK, all six episodes of season 1 are available to stream on Netflix. It is not currently available on the BBC’s iPlayer service.
For US viewers, the entire first season also streams on Netflix, which acquired international distribution rights in 2018.
Bodyguard Season 2 Trailer Release Date:
No official trailer has been released yet for Bodyguard Season 2, as the season is still in the early stages of pre-production and development.
However, excitement about the show remains high worldwide. So whenever there are concrete updates like a teaser trailer or essential casting news from the BBC, it will assuredly make major waves online and across social media with Bodyguard’s passionate fanbase.
Until a trailer does arrive, it is highly recommended that you whet your appetite by rewatching the chilling, compelling season 1 trailer to get re-immersed in the show’s taut, duplicitous world of political intrigue.
Bodyguard Season 2 Final Words:
While the long wait for Bodyguard Season 2 continues to be a test of patience for the show’s legion of fans, there’s good reason for optimism that the creative team can recreate the winning formula whenever the new season does arrive.
The foundation is certainly there, with the brilliant Jed Mercurio pulling the strings and the immensely talented Richard Madden committed to returning as the indelible David Budd. The series’ deft balance of breathless action, shocking twists, and compelling personal stories instantly turned it into a word-of-mouth sensation.
Bodyguard’s influence can already be felt across Peak TV, with the high-octane political conspiracy thriller becoming a model for other streaming hits. But the original may still have a few more twists and turns.
Mercurio has proven with Line of Duty that he can reinvent his shows infinitely compellingly each season. If he can tap into the same creative well that made Bodyguard’s debut season so gripping, audiences will answer the call again for the next must-see chapter. The intrigue will be worth the wait.