Lara Croft is heading back into action, and this time, she’s bringing some fresh company. With Sophie Turner already confirmed in the lead role as the globe-trotting archaeologist, Amazon Prime Video’s upcoming Tomb Raider series just added a new face to its main cast: Martin Bobb-Semple. Known for his work on All American: Homecoming and One of Us Is Lying, Bobb-Semple steps into an undisclosed series regular role. The announcement arrives with a note per Variety that production is gearing up to begin in January 2026, an encouraging sign for a project that’s been in slow motion since its announcement over a year ago.
Though his role has not been officially confirmed, fan theories suggest he could be playing Zip, one of Lara Croft’s longest-running allies in the video game series. A tech-savvy companion often depicted as Lara’s “guy in the chair”, Zip would be a fitting counterpart to Turner’s Croft, especially in a version of Tomb Raider imagined by Fleabag‘s Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
Bobb-Semple brings both stage and screen experience to the role, with earlier training at London’s Identity School of Acting and performances on the West End before transitioning to television. On All American: Homecoming, his character Lando grew into a leading role, and his turn as Evan in One of Us Is Lying demonstrated a knack for navigating ensemble dramas.
Behind the camera, the production is helmed by a strong creative team. Waller-Bridge serves as writer, creator, and executive producer, reuniting with Wayward Pines creator Chad Hodge, who will co-showrun. Shogun helmer Jonathan van Tulleken is attached to direct and produce. First greenlit by Prime Video in May 2024, the series had faced some early turbulence, including reported creative disagreements that slowed progress. But with Turner locked in, cameras about to roll, and casting news finally emerging, this take on Tomb Raider seems to be finding its footing.
Turner will become the third actor to portray Lara Croft in live-action, following Angelina Jolie’s early 2000s portrayal and Alicia Vikander’s reboot in 2018. At the same time, Netflix is preparing to wrap its own take on the character with The Legend of Lara Croft, an anime series featuring Hayley Atwell in the lead voice role.
No release date has been announced yet, but with production slated to begin in early 2026, it finally feels like Lara Croft’s next adventure is ready to leave base camp.
Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, and anime — you name it. When she’s not reading or being a dedicated cinephile, she’s probably playing gacha and tabletop games, or daydreaming of Caleb from Love and Deepspace.
Kevin Low
