Extreme lengths Joe Cole took to hide Gangs of London return as season three trailer hints at major twist

The season three trailer for Gangs of London, the Sky crime drama starring Joe Cole, has dropped.

The show has been one of the breakout British series of the last five years, focusing on the power struggles between rival London gangs.

If you tuned out after season one you’d likely be left asking a very simple question: “Wait, I thought Joe Cole’s character got shot in the head?”

Sean is shot in season 1 and was presumed dead (Sky)

For one, spoilers and two, you would be correct, but with a little bit of television magic, that was nothing but a flesh wound.

Cole, who starred in season one of the show as Sean Wallace, was shot in the face in the season one finale.

Early on in season two though, it is revealed that Sean actually survived and now, he's back in season three, with a new trailer dropping this morning.

You can watch it here:

When asked about keeping this a secret, Joe Cole told LADbible in an exclusive interview promoting Night Sleeper that he had managed to keep it a secret from everyone - bar his dad.

He said: “My Dad loved the show, he really responded to it.

“When he watched the end, he was like ‘I can’t believe it, you’re gone’, and I said ‘Dad I’ve got to tell you something.’

“So that was fun, but I didn’t tell anyone else, so it’s nice to keep these things a secret’.”

In a separate interview with British GQ in 2022, Cole revealed that the plan had always been that he was only signed on for one season, however, this was changed after ‘the powers that be wanted to perhaps keep it ambigious’.

Cole is back in season three, and this time he looks to be on a warpath (Sky)

He went on to say: "I felt like there was an opportunity to explore this character further.

"I also felt we might see a new Sean after everything he's been through, after he's been shot in the face and figured out who his dad really was. He’s really grown from a boy into a man.

Well, Cole is returning for season three alongside his co-stars Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Michelle Fairley, Lucian Msamati, as well as new faces such as Black Doves star Andrew Koji.

The twist in the season three trailer comes in the role that Sean Wallace is playing, with all signs pointing towards him being the villain of this season on a mission to take down his previous friends and fellow gang members.

Gangs of London season three will be available on Sky Atlantic and the NOW streaming service from March 2025.