Stephen Graham’s Season 2 Status In A Thousand Blows: Release Date And Every Returning Star
Stephen Graham returns to the ring as A Thousand Blows nabs a second season, set to hit Disney+ in January 2026, with a first-look clip already throwing the opening punch after its breakout debut earlier this year.
Stephen Graham is lacing the gloves back up. Disney+/Hulu has quietly locked in A Thousand Blows season 2, and the first-look clip already shows Graham back in the thick of it. The only catch: you need to be patient. It is set for January 2026.
The quick refresher
If you missed the first run earlier this year, the show comes from Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight and lives in the 1880s East End, where bare-knuckle boxing and back-alley power plays sit side by side. The story started with two friends from Jamaica, Hezekiah and Alec, trying to survive and climb the ranks, while an all-women crime outfit called the Forty Elephants made their own rules. And no, that is not a typo. It really is the Forty Elephants.
When and where season 2 lands
A Thousand Blows season 2 is scheduled to premiere on Hulu on January 9, 2026. Like the first season, it will run six episodes. First-look images and that clip are out there now, and yes, Graham shows up in the footage.
Who is back, who is new
A bunch of familiar faces are returning, with a couple of notable additions. One important note for anyone hoping for a miracle: Alec met his end in the penultimate episode of season 1. Never say never to a flashback, but do not expect a full comeback.
- Stephen Graham as Henry 'Sugar' Goodson
- Erin Doherty as Mary Carr
- Malachi Kirby as Hezekiah Moscow
- Darci Shaw as Alice Diamond
- Hannah Walters as Eliza
- James Nelson Joyce as Edward Treacle
- Jason Tobin as Mr. Lao
- Nadia Albina as Verity Ross
- Morgan Hilaire as Esme Long
- Jemma Carlton as Belle Downer
- Caoilfhionn Dunne as Anne Glover
- Susan Lynch as Jane Carr
- Daniel Mays as William 'Punch' Lewis
- Gary Lewis as Jack McAllen
- Aliyah Odoffin as Victoria Davies
- Robert Glenister as Indigo Jeremy
- New: Ned Dennehy as Bull Jeremy
- New: Catherine McCormack as Sophie Lyons
What season 2 is actually about
The new chapter jumps one year ahead. Things are rough. Hezekiah is a shell of himself. Sugar is estranged from his family and drinking hard. That is when Mary Carr storms back in with her unflappable No. 2, Alice Diamond, to rebuild her crew and take back her turf. Her plan is personal, and the risk level is cranked up.
Inspired by the true-life stories of a group of characters battling for survival in the brutal East End of London in the 1880s. One year later, Hezekiah's a shadow of the man he once was, whilst Sugar Goodson is estranged from his family and drinking himself to death. Just as Wapping is about to sigh its last breath, Mary Carr bursts back into town with her loyal second, Alice Diamond, to reassemble her gang and reclaim her crown. As always, Mary has a plan; one which will involve all those she holds dearest. And this time it's riskier than ever.
How the first season landed
If you care about the scorecards, season 1 currently sits around a 7.3/10 on IMDb, an 88 percent Tomatometer, and a 77 percent Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes. Translation: critics leaned in, audiences were mostly onboard, and the show has room to swing harder in round two.
Where to watch now
Season 1 is streaming on Hulu and Disney+. Season 2 hits Hulu on January 9, 2026. Mark it, then forget it for a bit. We have a wait.
One more little nerd note: this is very much a Steven Knight world, and the casting keeps that DNA. Along with Graham, you have Peaky Blinders alum Ned Dennehy stepping in as Bull Jeremy. Not subtle, but not unwelcome either.