Richard Madden goes full James Bond in first look at Prime Video’s Citadel TV show
Starring Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra, Citadel is Amazon’s attempts to build a James Bond-style TV spy universe.
There was a time when Richard Madden (Game of Thrones) was everyone’s fan-favorite choice to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond.
That boat might have sailed by now, but Madden is set to portray a 007-style agent in Citadel, a forthcoming Prime Video TV show that plans on becoming the next Bond or Bourne-like cinematic franchise.
Set to arrive exclusively on Amazon’s streaming platform in late April, Citadel is billed as a high-stakes, action espionage thriller that has big ambitions of reinventing the spy genre. How so? By being the first series in a Marvel-style TV universe that’ll tell intersecting stories across multiple nations and continents.
Madden is joined by Priyanka Chopra Jonas (The Matrix Resurrections), Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games), and Lesley Manville (The Crown) in the gripping spy series, which is being helmed by David Weil (Hunters, Invasion) and is the latest project from the Russo brothers’ AGBO production company.
Citadel could be the start of a new big franchise for Prime Video. (Image credit: Prime Video)
In a press release, Amazon released a lengthy plot synopsis to help audiences become accustomed to Citadel‘s overarching narrative.
“Eight years ago, Citadel fell,” the synopsis read. “The independent global spy agency – tasked to uphold the safety and security of all people – was destroyed by operatives of Manticore, a powerful syndicate manipulating the world from the shadows.
“With Citadel’s fall, elite agents Mason Kane (Madden) and Nadia Sinh (Chopra Jonas) had their memories wiped as they narrowly escaped with their lives. They’ve remained hidden ever since, building new lives under new identities, unaware of their pasts. Until one night, when Mason is tracked down by his former Citadel colleague, Bernard Orlick (Stanley Tucci), who desperately needs his help to prevent Manticore from establishing a new world order.
“Mason seeks out his former partner, Nadia, and the two spies embark on a mission that takes them around the world in an effort to stop Manticore, all while contending with a relationship built on secrets, lies, and a dangerous-yet-undying love.”
Citadel is set to debut on Prime Video on Friday, April 28 with a two-episode premiere. New episodes follow every Friday after that date until the season finale on May 26.
The teaser before the actual teaser
Fans can get a brief taste of Citadel’s action via a secret video. (Image credit: Prime Video)
First-look images are all well and good, but what about some actual footage? Well, an official teaser trailer is due to be released tomorrow (March 1) – but there is a way to get a brief exclusive look at the show in action ahead of the trailer’s reveal.
Interested? Read on to find out how to access it.
First, you’ll need to scan the QR code in the image above. You’ll find it in the top left of the screen, above and to the left of Nadia Sinh’s name. Click on the link that appears on your smartphone screen, which takes you to Citadel‘s Instagram page.
From there, tap the message that’s displayed to ‘connect to the mainframe’ of the fictional Citadel network. It’ll take a moment for the account to authenticate you. Once it does, you’ll be asked to type in a password. The passcode is located in the image above, too, next to the QR Code. To save you from trying to see what it is, though, we’ll help you out: it’s TIER1.
Enter that and you’ll unlock a 13-second teaser, which includes a brief voiceover from Stanley Tucci’s Bernard and some snippets of footage. It’s a good start, but here’s hoping tomorrow’s trailer shows us even more spy-based action and tension-fuelled drama. If it does, expect Citadel to work its way onto our best Prime Video shows list once it airs.
For more Prime Video and spy-based coverage, read up on the best Prime Video movies to stream right now. Additionally, see how we ranked every Daniel Craig Bond movie, or find out how to watch the James Bond movies in order.