Fans may have discovered Tom Hardy through The Dark Knight Rises, Peaky Blinders, or the Venom films, but their admiration always stems from his remarkable character work. His unique intensity shines in everything from Legend to Bronson. However, one project distills his strengths more than any other: the cult historical drama Taboo.
Debuting in 2017 on FX, Taboo is an eight-episode historical thriller co-created by Hardy and written by Steven Knight from a story Hardy devised. Set against a grim early-19th-century backdrop, it blends political intrigue, violence, and psychological drama. Despite its relatively niche footprint, the series holds an impressive 91% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
For Tom Hardy devotees, especially those drawn to Peaky Blinders’ Alfie Solomons, Taboo should be considered essential viewing. It may not match his highest-profile successes, but its rawness stands apart. The series showcases the Hollywood A-lister at his most uncompromising, delivering a performance that ranks among his grittiest and most compelling.
Taboo Is One Of Tom Hardy’s Most Underrated Projects
Hardy Delivers One Of His Rawest Performances In A Criminally Overlooked Drama
Tom Hardy in Taboo FX
While there’s a lot to the show, the heart of Taboo is Tom Hardy’s James Delaney, a haunted adventurer returning to London after years abroad. Arriving with stolen diamonds and unresolved trauma, Delaney navigates conspiracies and colonial rivalries. Hardy imbues him with animalistic physicality and quiet menace, crafting a character who feels unpredictable yet deeply calculated.
The role showcases Tom Hardy’s signature intensity. His deliberate vocal cadence, simmering stillness, and bursts of volatility create a hypnotic presence. Delaney rarely explains himself, forcing audiences to interpret his motives through behavior rather than exposition. That restraint transforms the performance into a study of internal conflict, elevating even simple scenes into riveting character moments.
Beyond Tom Hardy, Taboo also boasts an endearing ensemble character roster who act as conduits for the story’s central themes. The likes of Zilpha Geary (Oona Chaplin), Sir Stuart Strange (Jonathan Pryce), and Solomon Coop (Jason Watkins) anchor a web of corruption and obsession. Their interactions enrich the narrative with emotional weight and political stakes, grounding Delaney’s quest in a broader societal collapse.
Visually, Taboo is equally striking. Its muddy palettes and oppressive production design evoke a decaying London steeped in exploitation and industrial upheaval. The storytelling embraces ambiguity, trusting viewers to engage with its moral complexity. Despite these strengths, the show remains overlooked compared with Hardy’s other work.
Its underappreciated status likely stems from its slow-burn structure and uncompromising tone, though more fans discover it on streaming ever year. It may have taken audiences years to discover, but Taboo rewards patience with layered storytelling and magnetic performances, and the online praise the show receives in the 2020s reveals that viewers are here for it.
Taboo Season 2 Could Still Happen
New Updates Suggest The Long-Awaited Return Remains A Real Possibility
Taboo Tom Hardy in front of candles
Despite airing only a single season in 2017, the future of Taboo has never been definitively closed. The series was renewed shortly after debut and continued development over the years, with scripts progressing while schedules stalled. Tom Hardy’s commitments to major projects repeatedly delayed production, but creative interest persisted.
Encouragingly, momentum has resurfaced. In January 2026, Steven Knight revealed ongoing discussions with Hardy about reviving the series, highlighting continued enthusiasm and recognition of its popularity among audiences. This acknowledgment reinforces that the property still carries value creatively and commercially. As Knight revealed:
“Well, Tom and I have talked about it, and I think we know what we would do. It’s just finding the space. But I’d love to, I get asked about it – especially in the States, actually – I get asked about it a lot.”
This latest update adds to the quiet optimism that’s been brewing for years among Taboo’s ever-growing fandom. Six of eight planned episodes had been written during development, and both Hardy and Knight expressed eagerness to proceed once schedules aligned (via Collider). Such groundwork suggests the barrier has been logistics rather than a lack of narrative direction or studio interest.
While no production timeline is confirmed, the possibility of Taboo season 2 remains tangible. Hardy’s enduring passion and Knight’s openness indicate that Taboo has not faded into development limbo. Instead, it sits in a state of prolonged anticipation, awaiting the convergence of availability and ambition.
What Taboo Season 2 Would Look Like
Narrative Threads From Season One Hint At A Bold Expansion Of Scope
Tom Hardy in Taboo
The first season of Taboo concludes with Delaney departing London, leaving fertile ground for the story to pick up in season 2. His journey toward Nootka Sound and broader geopolitical tensions suggests expansion beyond the claustrophobic urban focus. Future episodes could shift emphasis toward colonial conflict and survival, widening the narrative scale significantly.
What’s been teased by Tom Hardy and Steven Knight over the years since Taboo concluded seems to imply multiple possible storytelling routes. Hardy once suggested possibilities ranging from a linear continuation to unconventional structural leaps across time (via Esquire). This creative flexibility indicates a willingness to evolve format and tone while retaining thematic foundations rooted in identity and power.
Thematically speaking, Taboo season 2 would likely continue exploring corruption, class disparity, and imperial ambition. The first season contextualized Delaney’s struggle within the War of 1812 and competing trade interests. Extending that framework could deepen the intersection between personal vendetta and international maneuvering, amplifying both stakes and scope.
Existing character arcs also offer substantial possibilities for season 2 of Taboo. Relationships with surviving allies and adversaries remain unresolved, and Delaney’s psychological scars provide ongoing narrative fuel. Revisiting these threads would allow the show to maintain emotional continuity while introducing new conflicts shaped by unfamiliar environments.
Ultimately, any projection remains speculative. Yet the groundwork already established ensures a potential second season would not need reinvention. Instead, it could build organically from established mythology, expanding scale without sacrificing the intimacy that defined Taboo’s identity.
Release Date
2017 – 2017-00-00
Network
BBC One
Showrunner
Steven Knight
