BBC shares first look at Wolf Hall sequel The Mirror and the Light

The BBC has shared the first look at Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light as filming comes to an end.

The sequel to Peter Kosminsky's critically acclaimed 2015 series Wolf Hall is returning for a second and final six-episode season, adapting Hilary Mantel's third Wolf Hall book 2020's The Mirror and the Light.

A beloved historical drama, the series follows the intricate narrative set out by the late author about the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell, who was minister to King Henry VIII.

Reuniting the creative team from the first series The Mirror and the Light will be directed by Peter Kosminsky (The Undeclared War, The State), adapted for television by Peter Straughan (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Frank) and produced by Colin Callender’s Playground (The Undeclared War, All Creatures Great and Small) and Company Pictures (Van Der Valk, Blood).

The BBC has confirmed new details about the upcoming episodes.

Here is everything you need to know about the show's return.

Who will star in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light?

The final season of Wolf Hall will mark the return of Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell, who portrayed the character in the first season of the show. The first season adapted Mantel's books Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies.

Damian Lewis will also return to play King Henry VIII, and Jonathan Pryce will also return as Cardinal Wolsey. Other returning cast members include Kate Phillips as Henry VIII's third wife Jane Seymour, while Lilit Lesser will once again play Princess Mary.

Reprising their roles from Wolf Hall series one will be Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Rafe Sadler, Joss Porter as Richard Cromwell, James Larkin as Master Treasurer Fitzwilliam, Richard Dillane as the Duke of Suffolk, Will Keen as Archbishop Cranmer, and Hannah Steele as Mary Shelton.

Harriet Walter (Killing Eve, Succession) join the cast to play Lady Margaret Pole, with Timothy Spall (Mr Turner, Spencer) as the Duke of Norfolk.

Also joining Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light are Alex Jennings as Stephen Gardiner, Maisie Richardson-Sellers as Bess Oughtred, Lydia Leonard as Lady Jane Rochford, Charlie Rowe as Gregory Cromwell, Harry Melling as Thomas Wriothesley, Corentin Fila as Christophe, Tom Mothersdale as Richard Riche, Karim Kadjar as Eustache Chapuys, Lucy Russell as Lady Anne Shelton, Will Tudor as Edward Seymour, Viola Prettejohn as Mary Fitzroy, Thomas Arnold as Hans Holbein, Jordan Kouamé as Martin The Gaoler, Agnes O’Casey as Lady Margaret Douglas, Cecilia Appiah as Nan Seymour, Ellie de Lange as Jenneke, Hubert Burton as Thomas Howard the Lesser, Pip Carter as Sir Geoffrey Pole, Josef Altin as Thomas Avery, Sarah Priddy as Lady Margery Seymour, Hannah Khalique-Brown as Dorothea, Amir El-Masry as Thomas Wyatt, German Segal as Olisleger, Summer Richards as Catherine Howard, and Dana Herfurth as Anne of Cleves.

Who has been recast in The Mirror and the Light?

Due to the passage of time and conflicting schedules, a number of Wolf Hall's sprawling cast of characters have been recast for The Mirror and the Light. Spider-Man was but a distance dream for Tom Holland back in 2015, but thanks to his Marvel role he is now in a different stratosphere and will not return as Thomas Cromwell's son Gregory. The other characters that will be played by a different actor are:

• The Duke of Norfolk: Bernard Hill (S1), Timothy Spall (S2)

• Stephen Gardiner: Mark Gatiss (S1), Alex Jennings (S2)

• Eustache Chapuys: Mathieu Almaric (S1), Karim Kadjar (S2)

• Gregory Cromwell: Tom Holland (S1), Charlie Rowe (S2)

• Jane Rochford: Jessica Raine (S1), Lydia Leonard (S2)

• Edward Seymour: Ed Speelers (S1), Will Tudor (S2)

• Richard Riche: Brian Dick (S1), Tom Mothersdale

• Thomas Wriothesley: Joel McCormack (S1), Harry Melling (S2)

• Lady Margaret Pole: Janet Henfrey (S1), Harriet Walter (S2)

What is the plot of Wolf Hall season 2?

Wolf Hall's second season adapts Mantel's The Mirror and the Light, which charts the final years of Thomas Cromwell's life from 1536 until his death in 1540.

The first season ended with the execution on Anne Boleyn (Claire Foy), and the book covers fallout of this historic event including Henry's disastrous marriage to Anne of Cleves, which Cromwell ultimately paid the price for.

The official synopsis reads: "May, 1536. Anne Boleyn, Henry’s second wife, is dead. As the axe drops, Thomas Cromwell emerges from the bloodbath to continue his climb to power and wealth, while his formidable master, Henry, settles to short-lived happiness with his third queen, Jane Seymour.

"Cromwell, a man with only his wits to rely on, has no great family to back him, and no private army. Navigating the moral complexities that accompany the exercise of power in this brutal and bloody time, Cromwell is caught between his desire to do what is right and his instinct to survive. But in the wake of Henry VIII having executed his queen, no one is safe.

"Despite rebellion at home, traitors plotting abroad and the threat of invasion testing Henry’s regime to breaking point, Cromwell’s robust imagination sees a new country in the mirror of the future. All of England lies at his feet, ripe for innovation and religious reform. But as fortune’s wheel turns, Cromwell’s enemies are gathering in the shadows.

"The inevitable question remains: how long can anyone survive under Henry’s cruel and capricious gaze?

"Eagerly awaited and years in the making, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light will trace the final four years of Cromwell’s life, completing his journey from self-made man to the most feared, influential figure of his time. Cromwell is as complex as he is unforgettable: a politician and a fixer, a diplomat and a father, a man who both defied and defined his age."

When will Wolf Hall season 2 be released?

Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light has wrapped filming and an air date will be announced in due course.

The six-part series will air on BBC One and iPlayer in the UK. Series one is available to watch on BBC iPlayer in the UK and on the PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel in the US and is available from Banijay Rights.

Is there a trailer for Wolf Hall season 2?

No, there's no trailer for Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light yet, but we expect to see one ahead of it being aired on TV.

Wolf Hall is streaming on BBC iPlayer.