Charlie Hunnam Is Unrecognizable As Ed Gein In Ryan Murphy's Monster Season 3

Ryan Murphy has had great success churning out shows that tread the line between venerating and indicting well-known serial killers. The prolific writer/director/producer has many series to his name, but none courted quite so much controversy as the Netflix series "Monster," the first season of which became notorious for its depiction of Jeffrey Dahmer's despicable crimes. Unfortunately, the awkwardly-titled "Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" actually had the effect of retraumatizing one particular victim's family. Still, the show's contentious nature only helped propel its popularity, and a second season was quickly greenlit. When season 2 of "Monsters" dropped, it once again had people upset with Murphy for a familiar reason, even while the true crime anthology saw Murphy take over Netflix's top charts.

When a new season of "Monster" drops then, two things are for sure. Everybody is going to be very upset, and everybody is going to stream the heck out of it. The difference, however, is that while Evan Peters took a lot of flack for portraying Dahmer in the first season, now actors have seemingly recognized the show's appeal, and season 3 of the anthology will see Charlie Hunnam take on the role of the so-called "Butcher of Plainfield," Ed Gein.

While we wait to see how Murphy manages to make this particularly grim true story feel unsettlingly sympathetic, we now have images of Hunnam in-costume, and the man is basically unrecognizable — which, considering the dodgy reputation of this series, is probably a good thing for the actor.

"Monster: The Ed Gein Story" has yet to receive a concrete release date, but will likely debut some time in late 2025. It will focus Gein's crimes in the late 1940s and 50s, which not only made him notorious but also provided some inspiration for the novel "Psycho" and Alfred Hitchcock's film adaptation. Gein, who passed away in 1994, confessed to the murder of two Wisconsin women but remains a suspect in multiple other unsolved cases. His penchant for using human skin and bones to decorate his house, as well as his bizarre infatuation with his own mother, also helped bolster his notoriety.

If that sounds like something Ryan Murphy could easily turn into a troubling premium drama that borders on sympathizing with its despicable protagonist, it absolutely is. Whether Charlie Hunnam will manage to successfully portray the depravity at the heart of Gein's character, however, remains to be seen. But the "Sons of Anarchy" star will at least be able to disappear into the character somewhat, judging by the dramatic physical transformation he's undergone.

Behind-the-scenes photos, via the Daily Mail, have revealed just how unrecognizable Hunnam is in the role. (You'll have to click on that link to see the outlet's exclusive photos for yourself.) This isn't quite the physical transformation of say, Colin Farrell in "The Penguin," but the clean-shaven Hunnam certainly looks much different in the set photos. Instead of his usual long blonde hair, the actor is seen with a dark, closely cropped style and dressed in 1950s wardrobe.

Of course, at this stage, "Monster" season 3 has only just started shooting, so it will likely be some time before we get actual footage of Hunnam in action. But the 44-year-old actor certainly looks to have inhabited Gein in terms of his physical appearance, so let's hope that we at least get an impressive performance when this questionable series returns for round three.