Another movie we’re excited to see Damian Lewis in later this year is The Runner, written by Mark Gibson, directed by Kevin Macdonald, and starring Gal Gadot in the lead role. The film was shot in London over the spring–summer of 2025 and will be distributed by Amazon MGM Studios.
Damian Lewis hasn’t just been cast in The Runner — he’s been spotted on set in a way that raises a lot of questions. His look, his position next to the main characters, and the fact that we don’t know his role yet make him one of the most interesting mysteries in the film.
While Gal Gadot might be the official star of The Runner, if you are a Damian Lewis fan, you already know where the real intrigue lies: Damian showed up on set sporting the most serious mustache of 2025.
And since we still don’t know who he is playing in the movie, the only sensible thing to do is speculate wildly, irresponsibly, and with great enthusiasm! If the production wanted us to behave, they would release a character description… So let’s go!
At this point, we don’t have official answers. So instead of waiting quietly, let’s do what movie fans do best and have some fun guessing.
Here’s the plot in a nutshell.
Gal Gadot plays a successful London lawyer whose morning goes from routine to nightmare when her young son is kidnapped. A mysterious caller starts giving her instructions through her phone, and in order to keep her child alive, she has to follow those instructions and complete real-time missions around the city.
I can’t help wondering if the kidnapping is connected to a legal case she worked on earlier — something from her past coming back to haunt her. Whatever the reason, this is clearly a time-pressure thriller, which usually means everyone is stressed, sweaty, and making fast decisions under extreme pressure.
Now, whenever you hear “woman running through European city to save person she loves,” the brain immediately screams: LOLA! What a great movie that was!
Run Lola Run walked (well, sprinted) so Gal Gadot could run 🙂
In that film, the main character runs through the city trying to save someone she loves, with the clock always working against her.
Where Run Lola Run played with multiple timelines and bold, stylized edits set to electronic music, The Runner will likely take a more direct approach — one timeline, one continuous run, and no second chances. That idea is backed up by what we know about the filming locations. The Runner was shot across several areas of London, including Kentish Town, where Gal Gadot was repeatedly seen running, and along Regent’s Canal in Camden and around St Pancras Way. Scenes were also filmed near canals, industrial backdrops, and places like Canary Wharf. All of these locations suggest a story that keeps moving through different parts of the city without stopping — one long, exhausting race through London, rather than a series of separate moments.
So London isn’t just the backdrop here — it is a character that probably becomes part of the obstacle for her, with crowds, bridges, tunnels, and narrow paths, as the clock keeps ticking. We also see in set photos that Gadot’s character is injured while completing the missions, which raises the stakes even more. There are no resets here — if she fails, she fails. And we’re lucky to have Kevin MacDonald in the director’s seat – he is known for tense, grounded storytelling, that fits a real-time thriller like this perfectly.
Enter Damian Lewis.
The set photos show Damian’s character wearing a black double-breasted Burberry trench coat with the collar raised, black leather gloves, neatly styled hair, and a very deliberate Wyatt Earp–style mustache.
Damian’s character’s posture is upright and controlled. He is either standing or walking close to Gal Gadot’s character and the young boy playing her son. He doesn’t look casual or relaxed. He isn’t dressed like a jogger, a parent, or a teacher. He also isn’t carrying a visible weapon, radio, or badge — at least not from what we can see. Instead, he looks like someone who is listening, watching, or waiting.
In movies like this, characters don’t stand this close by accident. Distance usually tells us who is safe and who is not.
He doesn’t look like someone who wandered into the scene by chance. The mustache alone suggests discipline, control, and authority. And since the production has been very secretive, we’re left to fill in the blanks like responsible adults on the internet 🙂
In a few of the photos, Damian is well within the lead character’s personal space, close enough that the boy doesn’t seem worried or scared.
That suggests three important things:
He may be part of their world before the kidnapping
He may have a legitimate reason to be near the mother and child in public
Gal Gadot’s character trusts him — at least at first
Possible Role #1: Security / Bodyguard
One possibility is that Damian is playing a bodyguard or security figure. His clothing is neat and formal, and he stands close to the woman and child in a way that suggests awareness rather than affection. He looks alert, not relaxed.
This kind of character would explain why he is nearby but not emotionally involved.
In one photo, Gadot’s character is smiling and chatting with her son like any parent on the school run, while Damian’s character briefly looks over, registers the moment, and then turns his attention back to his surroundings. He doesn’t join the little morning moment mother and son are having — he observes it. That feels very much like someone who is there “on duty.”
Possible Role #2: Law Enforcement or Intelligence Officer
Another option is that Damian is playing a detective, agent, or intelligence officer. His serious clothing, gloves, and controlled posture fit that kind of role. Characters like this often appear early in thrillers, especially when danger is already close but not yet visible.
If this is the case, he may become both a helper and a problem for Gal Gadot’s character later in the story. She may need to cooperate with him — or avoid him — while trying to follow the kidnapper’s instructions under tight time pressure.
Possible Role #3: The Kidnapper
There is also the darker possibility that Damian is playing the kidnapper himself. Thrillers love characters who seem harmless or professional at first and later reveal their true intentions.
This would make the story darker, because the danger would have been close long before anyone noticed it.
In that scenario, his closeness to the child could be completely intentional. The mother might assume he’s just another person passing by, or someone connected to the school. If he were part of the boy’s daily routine — security, staff, or a familiar face — no one would question his presence, right?
Oh, and if the story wanted to go darker, his security job could have been arranged on purpose so he could gain access to the boy and build trust before taking him.
Possible Role #4: The Mysterious Caller
Damian could also be playing the mysterious caller who gives the mother instructions after the kidnapping. These characters are usually calm and controlled, staying one step ahead while everyone else panics.
If this is the case, his presence near the family before the kidnapping would make the situation even more unsettling, especially if the mother later realizes the voice she’s been obeying belongs to someone who already knew her life.
Oh and what about that moment when his hand gets very close to mom and child while they’re hugging? Is he politely saying “Oops, sorry!” for stepping into their space… or is he only pretending it was an accident? Hard to tell at this stage!
At this point, the set photos give us just enough information to guess — but not enough to be sure. Damian’s character could be protecting the family, investigating them, threatening them, or quietly planning to ruin their day!
The mustache and coat make Damian’s character look serious and trustworthy, his closeness to the mother and child suggests familiarity. And thrillers love playing with this kind of uncertainty.
So what do you think?
Is he there to protect them, watch them, manipulate them — or hurt them?
And be honest: does the mustache make you trust him more… or less?
Until the production releases a trailer or a press note telling us what role Damian is playing, we are free to enjoy every theory. As you can imagine, Gingersnap and I had a few conversations about this, and while she keeps rooting for “bodyguard,” I keep championing “villain” and the rest of us are free to switch teams depending on the newest photo that drops online! No matter which guess ends up being right, the good news is the same: Damian’s character looks connected, alert, and part of the main story — and that’s all we need to stay hooked!
