It's been revealed that actor Joe Gilgun (This Is England '86) is joining E4's hit superhero drama Misfits as new character Rudy, brought in to replace Nathan in light of Robert Sheehan's decision to quit the BAFTA-winning show.
Gilgun will be a familiar face to many as Woody from the Shane Meadows film This Is England and its TV sequel This Is England '86. He also appeared alongside Michael Caine in Harry Brown, but is probably best-known for playing rascally Eli Dingle on ITV soap Emmerdale. The actor tends to play lovable rogues, so I wouldn't be surprised if Rudy is another example of that archetype.
Is Gilgun a worthy replacement for breakout star Robert Sheehan? Who knows. He's unlikely to get as many teenage hearts fluttering, but Gilgun should bring a more relaxed, fun energy to things. He's a good actor, if typecast as a working class scamp. He's also 4 years older than Sheehan, at 27, making him the oldest member of the cast -- but, to be fair, most of them are in their late-20s now.
What do you think? Are you happy to see someone like Gilgun in Misfits, provided he shakes things up? At least Gilgun will have an instant connection with co-star Lauren Socha, having appeared alongside her brother Michael Socha in This Is England '86.
Misfits is expected to return later this year on E4 with an extended eight-episode run, following an online special set in Las Vegas to explain Nathan's departure and Rudy's introduction.
Update: actress Lauren Socha has posted a behind-the-scenes photo of the new-look cast to her Twitter account, with Gilgun in the centre:
