'Missing' Peaky Blinders character actually appears in movie in blink-and-you’ll miss it moment

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man concludes 13 years of stories about the Shelby family, but unfortunately the movie doesn’t have enough room for every beloved character to come back.

The film does not see the return of Arthur Shelby, Finn Shelby, Alfie Solomon, or historical figures who became major parts of the series, such as Winston Churchill and Oswald Mosley.

Clocking in at just under two hours, The Immortal Man is a very focused story, leaving little time to explore those outside of the core cast of Peaky Blinders.

The movie does actually feature a character that many will have not even realised, with Charles Shelby making a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo.

The most obvious reference to Charles comes as Ada asks Tommy whether he’s been listening to the radio for information about his son, who is fighting in World War One in North Africa.

While this reference seems to explain him being missing in The Immortal Man, he makes another appearance, which you probably missed.

Who is Charles Shelby?

Charles is kidnapped in season three, but otherwise plays little part in the show until the finale (BBC)

Charles is the son of Tommy and his first wife, Grace, making him the half-brother of Duke and Ruby Shelby.

He is first introduced in season three and plays arguably his most important role in the whole series when he is kidnapped by Father Hughes in an attempt to coerce Tommy.

Charles leaves at the end of season six with Lizzie, his step-mother who also decides to leave Tommy at the end of the final season, saying that she was always more of a parent to him than Tommy ever was.

This is the last we hear of him until Ada brings up Charles while berating Tommy for his lack of engagement with both of his living children, Duke and Charles.

When does Charles Shelby appear in The Immortal Man?

Charles is shown still in his military garb at Tommy's funeral (Netflix)

Spoilers for Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man

There’s a very simple reason many probably didn’t realise that Charles Shelby was in the film: you were probably watching it through floods of tears when he appeared.

At the end of The Immortal Man, Tommy is tragically shot by John Beckett during the final battle, later encouraging Duke to be the one to be the one to kill him.

The movie ends with Duke leading a Romani funeral procession for Tommy in which they set fire to a caravan with Tommy inside surrounded by photos of his family, but he is joined by Charles still in his army uniform, played by actor Alfie Thomas Bland.

Charles Shelby is played by Alfie Thomas Bland, making his first on screen appearance (Netflix)

Alfie is a current acting student at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, saying of his casting as Charles that ‘to be a part of such an already iconic franchise is incredible’.

One fan noticed the detail on Reddit, saying: “I didn't even catch this during the first watch at the cinema.... Charles Shelby (Tommy's first son with Grace) who is fighting on the front in Africa during the movie, makes a special trip to be at Tommy's funeral. Awesome little detail.”

Some believe the detail, however, could be a signal of more to come in the future.

Could Charles' return be a hint ahead of the upcoming Peaky Blinders sequel series?

The show’s creator, Steven Knight, has already confirmed there is going to be a sequel series set in 1953, 13 years after The Immortal Man.

Previously, there has been speculation that Finn Shelby, who does not appear in the film, may play a pivotal role in the series opposite Duke Shelby.

Knight has already confirmed that Duke will appear in the sequel show, with Finn then being an obvious antagonist, considering the last time we saw Tommy’s younger brother, he promised he would be back for revenge.

Duke is going to be featured in the sequel series, but Barry Keoghan is unlikely to come back (Netflix)

Fans online, however, have suggested that Charles could play a role alongside Duke after returning from the war, similarly to how Tommy, Arthur, and John did in the original series.

One comment on Reddit said: “For the new series set in 1953 and covering the rebuilding of Birmingham I would love if Charlie is the lead character.

“Knight has already confirmed that The Immortal Man is the final chapter for the older characters. It's the new generation and Charlie should be leading it.”

If his return to Birmingham alongside Duke for his father’s funeral is anything to go by, it seems this is not an impossible future.

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is available to stream on Netflix.