The Capture season 3 confirms Harry Potter TV series star to return in new first-look images
Paapa Essiedu is back as Isaac Turner.
When the cast of The Capture season 3 was first announced, there was one notable absence – Paapa Essiedu.
The star of The Lazarus Project and I May Destroy You, who will soon be seen as Severus Snape in the upcoming Harry Potter series, played MP and Government minister Isaac Turner in The Capture season 2, who had a key role in helping Holliday Grainger's Rachel Carey to expose Correction.
Essiedu not returning may not have been a huge shock – after all, season 1 star Callum Turner didn't come back for season 2, with the show seemingly taking a structure where Carey would be paired with a new male lead each season, with season 3's seemingly being KAOS's Killian Scott.
However, it has now been confirmed that Essiedu is in fact returning, with the news being confirmed alongside the release of some new first-look images.
The images give us new looks at Grainger and Essiedu, as well as other returning stars Indira Varma as BBC News presenter Khadija Khan, Ben Miles as Danny Hart and Ron Perlman as CIA agent Frank Napier.
Meanwhile, Hugh Quarshie is seen as his new character Commissioner Cameron Yates.
Other returning stars include Lia Williams as Gemma Garland, Ginny Holder as DI Nadia Latif, Nigel Lindsay as DSI Tom Kendricks, Tessa Wong as DC Chloe Tan and Daisy Waterstone as Abigail Carey.
Meanwhile, other new additions joining the show along with Scott and Quarshie include Linus Roache as Colonel Figgis, as well as Jonathan Aris, Joe Dempsie, Andrew Buchan and Amanda Drew, all of whom are playing new characters.
The synopsis for season 3, which will air in spring 2026, says: "It’s been 12 months since Rachel Carey broadcast a live deepfake of a government minister to the nation, exposing the UK intelligence service’s clandestine video manipulation programme known as Correction.
"Amidst an inquiry into the unlawful use of Correction, Carey has become Acting Commander of Counter Terrorism Command, determined to regain the public’s trust in surveillance technology through the new Operation Veritas camera system.
"And then it happens: a brutal and exceptionally well-coordinated act of terror aimed right at the heart of the British establishment that leaves behind just one witness.
"The more Carey investigates, the deeper she is drawn into an unfolding geopolitical crisis that infects the British political establishment, the security services, and the media.
"The conspiracy reaches deep into the State, but just who is pulling the strings? Caught in an increasingly violent situation, and with few allies left to trust, what sacrifices will Carey be willing to make?"
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The Capture season 3 will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in spring 2026. Seasons 1 and 2 are available to watch on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
