Peter Capaldi has been cast as the villainous Cardinal Richelieu in BBC’s new adaptation of The Musketeers.

Writer Adrian Hodges said: “The fact that Peter wanted to do it was wonderful, and in a way it was an endorsement of everything we are trying to do. What Peter can bring is a ferocious intelligence, but he has also got that dark side.”

Hodges added: “No doubt Malcolm Tucker would have studied Richelieu. The Thick of It was a satire but you felt the harshness and the toughness of that character. The way we are presenting Richelieu is as the ultimate pragmatist.

“He is the villain but he is not evil; he has a vision of a new modern France being the dominant force in Europe and he doesn’t let anyone get in the way of his vision. That is the connection with Malcolm Tucker – he will do anything for his cause.”