After two years in production, the first look of Christopher Nolan’s upcoming biopic Oppenheimer has arrived.

Preserved in history as the father of the atomic bomb, nuclear scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer will be played by none other than Peaky Blinders star, Cillian Murphy — who features face-first in the revealed photograph. Posing with a cigarette and Oppenheimer’s iconic Stetson hat, the image is reminiscent of a classic portrait of the scientist shot in 1947 for LIFE magazine.

Known for his ice-cold stare, dominating screen presence and unique roles, the 45-year-old Irishman tops off one of Nolan’s most ambitious projects yet, after starring in his previous films Batman Begins, Inception, and Dunkirk.

“I’ll always turn up for Chris, whatever the size of the part,” Murphy said to The Guardian last weekend. “Chris will call me up and I’m there. Isn’t it wonderful that filmmakers are still making challenging, demanding films within the studio system, shot on film rather than Imax? I think he’s flying the flag. Him, Paul Thomas Anderson and Quentin Tarantino, are fantastic filmmakers making interesting work on a massive scale.”

Fans were thrilled at the new reveal, taking to Twitter to share their excitement for the film, despite it being over a year away:

The actor will star alongside Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Matthew Modine, Florence Pugh, Jack Quaid, and Rami Malek in the much-anticipated film, and it’s probably one of Nolan’s greatest rosters yet. Murphy’s next appearance will come in at the end of February on BBC One, for the final season of Peaky Blinders.

Oppenheimer will be released by Universal Pictures in July 2023, one year after the release of Nolan’s previous film, Tenet.

(Featured Image Credits: Universal Pictures)