We’ve finally got our first look at Charlie Hunnam and Matthew Macfadyen in Legacy of Spies, and the upcoming spy thriller is starting to look very intriguing.

Macfadyen takes on the role of legendary spymaster George Smiley, while Hunnam stars as British intelligence officer Alec Leamas. The BBC and MGM+ released the first images as filming on the eight-part series wraps.

The series is based primarily on John le Carré’s classic novel The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, while also incorporating material from his 2017 novel A Legacy of Spies.

Set during the Cold War, the story follows Leamas as he becomes involved in a dangerous operation involving East German intelligence. He recruits Doris Quinz, a young East German woman, to help smuggle sensitive Stasi documents into the West, setting off a chain of events that puts several characters at risk.

Macfadyen’s casting as Smiley is particularly notable, as the character is returning to television after more than four decades. Alec Guinness famously played Smiley in the BBC adaptations of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Smiley’s People.

The series has an impressive supporting cast too, including Hugh Laurie, Daniel Brühl, Dan Stevens, Charlotte Ritchie, Joe Alwyn, Devrim Lingnau Islamoğlu and Agnes O’Casey.

There isn’t a release date just yet, but with filming now complete and the first images out, Legacy of Spies is one to keep an eye on for fans of spy dramas and John le Carré’s work.

What do you think of the first look at Macfadyen as George Smiley?