Ever since Taboo Season 1 left jaws on the floor in 2017, fans have been itching for news on the next chapter. Tom Hardy’s gritty portrayal of James Keziah Delaney, set against the murky backdrop of 19th-century London, hooked viewers with its raw intensity and tangled mysteries. After years of waiting, whispers about Season 2 are finally turning into solid updates. Here’s the latest on when it’s dropping, who’s back, and what’s next for Delaney’s dark journey.
Taboo Season 2 Potential Release Date
The road to Taboo Season 2 has been a bumpy one. BBC One and FX greenlit the second season way back in March 2017, but life got in the way—think Tom Hardy’s jam-packed schedule and a global pandemic throwing wrenches in the works. Fast forward to 2025, and things are looking up. In a March 2025 chat with LADBible, Hardy spilled that scripts are being hammered out as we speak. Producer Dean Baker also dropped hints in 2023 that the team was back at it, fueling excitement.
No exact release date is locked in yet, but the tea leaves suggest late 2026 or early 2027. Steven Knight, the show’s co-creator, mentioned in 2021 that six of the eight planned episodes were already written, with filming hinging on Hardy’s availability. A 2022 comment from Knight pointed to late 2023 as a possible start for shooting, but delays pushed that back. If cameras start rolling soon, expect Taboo Season 2 on BBC One in the UK and FX in the US, likely streaming on Netflix or BBC iPlayer, where Season 1 lives now.
Taboo Season 2 Expected Cast
Tom Hardy is the beating heart of Taboo, and he’s confirmed to return as James Delaney, the brooding antihero. He’s not just acting—Hardy’s also a co-creator with his dad, Chips Hardy, and Steven Knight, pouring his soul into the project. In a 2025 Collider interview, he stressed wanting to “get it right,” showing his commitment to the story.
The Season 1 finale saw Delaney and his crew sail off to America, so expect some familiar faces to tag along. Likely returning cast includes:
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Jessie Buckley as Lorna Bow, Delaney’s stepmother, who barely survived the chaos at the docks.
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Tom Hollander as George Cholmondeley, the quirky chemist who was wounded but alive.
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Stephen Graham as Atticus, the rough-and-tumble ally who joined the voyage.
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Edward Hogg as Michael Godfrey, the clerk-turned-crewmember.
Some characters won’t make it back. Jonathan Pryce’s scheming Stuart Strange went out in a blaze, and Oona Chaplin’s Zilpha Geary met a heartbreaking end. Others, like Winter (Ruby-May Martinwood) and Benjamin Wilton (Leo Bill), also bit the dust, though flashbacks could bring surprises. No new names have been dropped yet, but with the story heading to America, fresh characters are bound to stir things up.
Taboo Season 2 Potential Plot
Season 1 closed with Delaney and his misfit crew sailing for America under an American flag, leaving London’s blood-soaked streets behind. Season 2 will dive into this new chapter, exploring Delaney’s shadowy past and his plans in the New World. Steven Knight has teased a “more narcotic, opium-drenched” vibe, hinting at a darker, maybe even trippier tone. The mysterious “Colonnade” spy network from Season 1 could take center stage, weaving in espionage and political schemes.
The setting will likely shift from London to places like Ponta Delgada in the Azores, a rugged island stopover, before hitting America. Hardy’s thrown out wild ideas, like jumping to the Vietnam War era or flashing back to Delaney’s African days, though these might just be creative sparks. Knight calls it a story of “misfits and America,” so expect themes of rebellion, identity, and survival to drive the plot.