Peaky Blinders recap: 5 things you need to remember before watching the film

It's been almost three years since the final season of Peaky Blinders wrapped up on BBC One, so you'd be forgiven for feeling a bit rusty as we prepare to head back to Birmingham for the latest instalment of Steven Knight's gangster saga.

The Immortal Man – which is released in select UK cinemas today (Friday 6 March) ahead of a Netflix release in two weeks' time – sees Cillian Murphy's Tommy Shelby head to the big screen for the first time, with a number of high-profile additions to the cast including Tim Roth, Rebecca Ferguson and Barry Keoghan.

The film's action unfolds in 1940, right in the midst of the Second World War, which means we're picking up around six years on from when we left the Shelby clan and their associates at the end of the final run.

But despite the passage of time, there are a few developments from the TV show that are well worth remembering before you head to the cinemas. Read on for our recap of 5 things you should brush up on ahead of watching the film.

What happened to Tommy Shelby at the end of Peaky Blinders?

The series ended with the major revelation that Tommy's apparently fatal illness he'd been reckoning with all season was a fabrication, and had been invented by Doctor Holford who was in league with the fascists and was determined to undermine Tommy.

He therefore abandoned his suicide plans – which he had planned so he could die on his own terms rather than succumb to what he though was a terminal diagnosis – and burned the caravan in which he had been storing all his possessions.

The final shot was of Tommy galloping off into the distance on a white horse, seemingly to seek a fresh start.

Who died in the final season of Peaky Blinders?

The season finale wasn't without death, though, due to the killing of Tommy's cousin Michael. The pair had been locked in a simmering feud after their relationship had soured over several seasons, and Michael had attempted to kill Tommy as a result – only for the latter to get the better of him.

Although Tommy did the killing himself, it represented the latest in a tragic line of Shelby deaths after his brother John, Aunt Polly and daughter Ruby.

And it's the latter of those – the death of his child from consumption at the age of just seven – which seems likely to remain the most haunting of all for Tommy. He's certainly a man who's witnessed his fair share of tragedy in his time, something which has often been shown to take its toll on his psyche.

Who was Duke Shelby in Peaky Blinders?

One big revelation in the final season that looks like having major repercussions is the introduction of Tommy's illegitimate son Duke, played at the time by Conrad Khan.

He was introduced as the thief whose existence Tommy had previously been unaware of, and it looks like he's risen through the ranks in the time between the end of the series and the film – in which he is now played by Barry Keoghan.

At the beginning of the film we find Duke now running the Peaky Blinders with his father still in self-imposed exile, and from the trailer it looks like he's adopted a rather brutal and ruthless leadership approach, running the gang "like it's 1919 all over again" as Ada puts it.

Who was Hayden Stagg in Peaky Blinders?

Another character introduced in the final season was Stephen Graham's Hayden Stagg, who has been confirmed for a return in the film.

The last we saw of him, he'd agreed to be a trading and transport point for the Shelby organisation on the Liverpool docks after initially butting heads with Tommy, and so it will be interesting to see how this alliance develops in the film.

What happened to Arthur Shelby at the end of Peaky Blinders?

And then there's Tommy's erratic older brother Arthur, who is not listed in the cast for the film.

Arthur had all sorts of issues with addiction and his mental health, struggling especially with PTSD, so it will be fascinating to see how his apparent absence will be addressed in the film.

It seems certain that he won't be forgotten about completely and that – present in the film or not – his impact will still be felt in Tommy's life.

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is in select UK cinemas now and will be available to stream on Netflix from Friday 20 March 2026 – sign up from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media.

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