Line of Duty season 7 confirms Trainspotting icon in major lead role as "extraordinary character"

If there's one thing fans know about Line of Duty, it's that it's had some incredible guest leads over the years.

Previous seasons have seen stars including Kelly Macdonald, Stephen Graham, Thandiwe Newton, Daniel Mays, Keeley Hawes and Lennie James take centre stage – and now we know exactly who will be taking the lead in the upcoming season 7.

Robert Carlyle, best known for his roles in films such as Trainspotting, The Full Monty and 28 Weeks Later, will play new character Detective Constable Shaun Massie in the new season, which will start filming this spring.

Carlyle will join returning stars Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar in the new season, with his character being described as "a Specialist Rifle Officer (SRO), a veteran marksman, operating with Tactical Operations Unit 7 (TO-7) to take down Organised Crime Groups".

The BBC has also said of the character: "A gruff loner, Massie keeps himself to himself, but when his boss, TO-7's commanding officer DI Dominic Gough, is accused of being a sexual predator, Massie's otherwise detached demeanour changes drastically."

On joining the series, Carlyle said in a statement: “Having been a huge admirer of [series creator] Jed Mercurio’s work for many years, I’m delighted to be given the opportunity to join such an exceptional cast for series 7 of Line of Duty.

"The scripts for the series are excellent and will absolutely maintain the quality that the audience have come to expect from this fantastic show. DC Massie is an extraordinary character and I look forward to bringing him to life."

Meanwhile, Mercurio added: "On Line of Duty we've been honoured by the glittering guest leads who've joined the cast over the years. We couldn't be more thrilled that Robert Carlyle will star in series 7 as Specialist Rifle Officer Shaun Massie.

"I've been a huge fan of Robert's work for many years and it will be a career highlight to work with him. Robert always brings mesmerising power and depth to every role; I know viewers will be on the edge of their seats wondering what his character will do next, and why." 

The previously released synopsis for season 7 says that it will see AC-12 having been disbanded and rebranded the Inspectorate of Police Standards.

"Anticorruption work has never been more difficult and in this challenging climate Steve Arnott, Kate Fleming, and Ted Hastings are assigned their most sensitive case so far," the synopsis says.

Earlier this week, it was reported that the show's overarching H storyline could be revisited, after some fans were left dissatisfied with the reveal that the all-powerful figure was in fact Ian Buckells, played by Nigel Boyle. However, this has not yet been confirmed.

Watch Martin Compston talk to Radio Times about Line of Duty's return below:

Line of Duty seasons 1-6 are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

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