Peaky Blinders creator reveals why a Tom Hardy return was considered - and why it didn't happen

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, the new movie sequel to the six-series hit TV show, came to Netflix recently, with Cillian Murphy reprising his role as gang leader Tommy Shelby opposite a cast including Barry Keoghan, Tim Roth, and Stephen Graham.

The film picks up Tommy's story and brings him into the midst of the Second World War, where he finds himself involved with stopping the real life Nazi scheme known as Operation Bernhard.

Despite the returning faces, some viewers were disappointed that Tom Hardy's character, Alfie Solomons – a fan favourite from the series - did not appear in The Immortal Man.

And now series creator and writer of every episode plus the movie, Steven Knight, has revealed that he had further plans for Alfie at one point, but they were not to be.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Knight had conceptualised a twist on Hardy's character, who was shot in the face in the fourth season of the TV series only to reappear during the next run.

Knight explained: "I had an idea, which I haven’t really spoken about. Ever since he was shot on the beach at Margate, you’ve only ever seen Tommy and Alfie together alone.

"I thought, Maybe he appears, and we realise he’s been dead all that time. Now, I nearly did that, and I didn’t do it, but that was a thought."

Speaking about the fact that Paul Anderson's Arthur Shelby also did not return, Knight emphasised "What I’ll say is that the story determines the cast, and the story was set." Clearly, neither Alfie nor Arthur would have fit into what Knight wanted to do with The Immortal Man.

There had been a popular theory circulating amongst fans of the TV show in its latter two seasons that Alfie was merely a figment of Tommy's imagination, so it's interesting to hear Knight explain that this almost became canon.

Fan disappointment in the lack of Alfie is understandable – Hardy had revealed in an interview with Sky News in 2024 that he had hoped to make a return as Alfie Solomons. Sadly, on this occasion, it just wasn't to be.

While we know that this is the end for Tommy, a Peaky Blinders sequel series is being written that will continue the Shelby legacy. But, if you're still confused by some of the unanswered questions left by the film, check out our guide that points to where the future of the franchise could lead.

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is now streaming on Netflix – sign up from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media. The Peaky Blinders series is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

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