Prime Video has released the first teaser and official first-look images for Criminal, a new crime drama based on the acclaimed graphic novel series by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Sean Phillips. Starring Charlie Hunnam, Luke Evans, Adria Arjona, and Emilia Clarke, the adaptation will explore an interconnected criminal world, family secrets, loyalty, and betrayal. Rather than arriving as a single release, the series will be divided into two parts, each following a different chapter of its central family saga.
Criminal: Part One – Coward will premiere on January 13, 2027, while Criminal: Part Two – Lawless will follow on January 27, 2027. Both parts will consist of four episodes, with all episodes released together on their respective premiere dates. The series will stream exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories.
Criminal Explores a Family’s Deep Roots in Crime
The first part, titled Coward, centers on Leo Patterson (Charlie Hunnam) and his best friend Ricky Lawless (Gus Halper). Although both grew up around crime, they have different ambitions. Leo wants to escape the criminal world, while Ricky hopes to follow the example of his father, a legendary outlaw.
Their complicated history becomes more difficult when Ricky’s older brother, Tracy Lawless (Luke Evans), returns from the Army. His arrival brings unresolved family secrets back into their lives, including a childhood murder and a heist that goes wrong.
The story also introduces Greta (Adria Arjona), a sharp-tongued car thief from Leo’s past, and Mallory (Emilia Clarke), Ricky’s girlfriend, who worries about the increasingly dangerous decisions he makes. Gunfights, robberies, and complicated relationships form the foundation of the first chapter.
The second part, Lawless, shifts its focus to Tracy. Twenty years earlier, he chose military service over prison and left his criminal life behind. However, Ricky’s involvement with dangerous people forces Tracy to return home and confront his family’s history.
Alongside Hunnam, Evans, Arjona, and Clarke, the main cast includes Richard Jenkins, Kadeem Hardison, Gus Halper, John Hawkes, and Logan Browning. The recurring and guest cast features Michael Mando, Garrett Hedlund, Patrick J. Adams, Pat Healy, and several other performers.
Criminal is based on the multi-Eisner Award-winning graphic novels created by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. Both creators serve as executive producers alongside Philipp A. Barnett, Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, Jordan Harper, Sarah Carbiener, Dee Rees, and Halley Gross. Cortney Norris and Minhal Baig are co-executive producers.
Amazon MGM Studios, Basement Gang, Big Indie Pictures, Gowanus Projections, and Legendary Television are producing the series.
Release Schedule and Global Streaming Details
Both installments will contain four episodes, making the first season an eight-episode crime drama. Prime Video will release each four-episode chapter in full rather than distributing episodes weekly. The series is scheduled to launch in more than 240 countries and territories.
The two-part structure follows the graphic novels’ separate storylines, with Coward establishing Leo and Ricky’s troubled past before Lawless turns to Tracy and the consequences of his brother’s choices. The adaptation brings together crime drama, family conflict, heists, and tragic romance across the two chapters.
The supporting cast also includes Taylor Selé, Aliyah Camacho, Marvin Jones III, Michael Xavier, Dominic Burgess, Chris Diamantopoulos, Lawrence Kao, Katie Stevens, John Pyper-Ferguson, Robert Lee Hart, Aina Brei’yon, and Kyle Davis, among others.
The teaser and first-look images mark the first major promotional reveal for the series ahead of its January 2027 debut. Viewers can watch Criminal exclusively on Prime Video when Coward premieres on January 13, followed by Lawless on January 27.
