Even with that jaw-dropping Season 1 twist, it sounds like Richard Madden hopes Bodyguard Season 2 will happen just as much as everyone else does. On Thursday, Dec. 13, the Game of Thrones actor stopped by The Ellen Show to discuss the series' stateside success with Ellen DeGeneres. Madden and Bodyguard recently received Golden Globe nominations, and that's on top of the show's record-breaking ratings in the United Kingdom. These two factors combined seem to suggest it's only a matter of time until David Budd is back in action.
During the interview, DeGeneres asked Madden if he thinks there will be a Season 2, and the actor seemed excited by the possibility of returning to the role. "We hope so. I mean we've been talking about it a lot," he said on the talk show. "It's kind of been quite mad this year, so we'll have next year to throw some ideas around and talk. So hopefully so."
While nothing's firm just yet, series creator Jed Mercurio certainly seems to have a plan for Bodyguard's future. In September, he told The Sun that he could see the show lasting for up to four seasons. "It's probably fair to say we would probably approach any thoughts of a second series with the idea that it would create an opportunity for a third or fourth," Mercurio said.
Four seasons worth of a brooding Madden doing his best to protect various British dignitaries? That sounds like TV perfection.
In the interview, DeGeneres makes a valid point about the inherent difficulties that a second season of Bodyguard could face. Major spoiler alert ahead: Since Keeley Hawes' Julia Montague doesn't make it through episode three, and most of the rest of the main characters are killed off by the end of the six-episode first season, a second season would need an entirely new storyline in place for Madden's David.
What could the writers possibly put the beleaguered character through next? He's already untangled a government-level conspiracy, and failed pretty hard at his first bodyguard gig. That doesn't mean he can't have a do-over with a new client though, and maybe he'll be paired with someone he doesn't fundamentally disagree with on every level the second time around.
Thankfully, Mercurio seems to have plans for David's future, even if it does sound like fans will have to wait a while before a potential Season 2 happens. The British showrunner has another hit that he needs to work on first — Line of Duty Season 5, which had its production delayed while Mercurio worked on Bodyguard Season 1, according to Digital Spy. Meanwhile, Madden is likely going to be busy promoting his next project, the Elton John biopic Rocketman, over the next few months.
No matter how long it takes for a second season to happen, just the promise of one would be more than enough right now. Bodyguard's intense story combined with a superb performance from Madden made the show a hit on both sides of the pond. And DeGeneres is far from the only fan who is eager to see what this action-packed series could possibly serve up next.
