Peaky Blinders creator hints at Tommy Shelby comeback in sequel series

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man has been billed widely as the end of the Shelby story, and the end of Tommy’s story overall, but Steven Knight has now hinted that this might not be entirely true.

If this were to ever come to pass, the huge success of the Peaky Blinders Netflix movie would almost certainly be a major factor in this.

The movie, which followed up six seasons of the BBC TV show, garnered a massive 25,300,000 views in just three days despite having been previously released in a limited cinema run.

The news that Tommy may be coming back however will come as a shock to fans who saw his story come to a natural conclusion in The Immortal Man.

Major spoilers for Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man ahead

The movie kills of Tommy, but Steven Knight has still left the door open for him to return

Tommy and his brothers are all dead, but he could still be coming back for the sequel series (BBC)

The movie ends with Tommy definitively dead, shot twice by Nazi villain Beckett then finished off by his son Duke at Tommy’s own request. His body is then cremated in a caravan in typical Romani fashion, leaving it pretty unequivocal that he died.

Steven Knight has said in multiple interviews that, for the story to end, Tommy would need to die, and Cillian Murphy himself has said on the official Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man podcast that he ‘always’ needed to die in the end.

Murphy said: “I kind of always felt that he needed to die, it needed to happen. A lot of the show he was kind of looking for that… it feels right, the way it happened.”

Now though Steven Knight has suggested in an interview that Tommy may still come back. He said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly: “He may come back. You know, in Peaky, you may come back as a ghost,” with Knight adding a smile on the final line.

Tommy appearing as a ghost in the upcoming sequel series isn’t as daft as it sounds

Keoghan takes on the role of Duke Shelby. (Netflix)

Steven Knight has already confirmed that there will be a sequel TV series set in 1953, with Duke Shelby confirmed to be playing a part.

Whilst it is unlikely Barry Keoghan will come back, a recast was already likely considering it is set 13 years after the movie.

Fans theories have swirled about other characters being involved, with Finn and Charles Shelby both considered amongst the favourites due to Steven Knight saying the show would focus on the ‘next generation’ of the Shelby family.

If Duke, Charles, or even Finn Shelby is leading the next generation of the Peaky Blinders both in the show’s world and in real life – they will be operating in the shadow of Tommy Shelby.

Charles Shelby makes a cameo in the Peaky Blinders movie, and could be in the sequel series (Netflix)

Barry Keoghan spoke about how it’s ‘a lot to follow Tommy Shelby’, adding: “It’s a lot and I don’t even want to attempt that to try, but Duke is a different sort of [character].”

This real life pressure will also be present in the show, with Duke’s leading of the Peaky Blinders in the film showing he has been living somewhat in the shadow of his father.

With ghosts being a recurring theme of the show, Tommy continuing to haunt the narrative for the sequel series would be perfect – and would help out interest in the series with the ‘return’ of Cillian Murphy.