Rebus series: 10 Scottish actors who could play Edinburgh detective, from Sam Heughan to Ncuti Gatwa

With a new TV adaptation of Sir Ian Rankin’s John Rebus novels due to start filming within months, focusing on the character in his 30s in modern-day Edinburgh, we take a look at which actor could be chosen for the role of the famous Capital cop. While John Hannah and Ken Stott played the role in the previous TV adaptations of Rebus, we’ve been looking at younger actors who could take on the reimagined detective in a new six-part series on Scandinavian streaming giant Viaplay, written by Rankin and fellow Fifer, playwright and screenwriter Gregory Burke.

The Swedish company, which has unveiled Rebus as its first UK drama production, has billed it as “an unforgettable show with Scottish roots, international appeal and universal themes”. The main character will be around the same age on screen as he was in the first Rebus novel in 1987, a role most actors would be desperate to get their teeth into.