The Immortal Man—What You Need to Know

Bust out your best flat caps and leather jackets, because the Peaky Blinders are back, baby … well, almost. After six insanely successful seasons, the epic Netflix Original gangster saga from creator Steven Knight is set to wrap up its story of the Shelby clan with a highly anticipated movie.

The Peaky Blinders series boasts a fictionalized version of a real-life British crime gang that existed, and operated in post-First World War Birmingham, England. It follows crime boss Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) as he elevates his family from nomadic, bickering gypsies to the height of British aristocracy, only to burn it all down in the end and ride away, literally on a white horse, to return to his roots.

Here is everything you need to know about the hit series’ cinematic encore, The Immortal Man.

This article contains spoilers for the Peaky Blinders series.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know About Cillian Murphy

First things first, everyone wants to know if Academy Award winner Cillian Murphy is reprising his role as Thomas Shelby. The answer is yes. This story would not work without Murphy’s gritty, prismatic portrayal of our emotionally and morally complex protagonist. Here’s a taste of who Tommy Shelby is.

The Immortal Man Plot

While many details are still being kept tightly under wraps, here’s what we do know. The Immortal Man is a direct continuation of the British gangster series and is not a standalone film. It is set during World War II, when Britain is at war, as are the Peaky Blinders.

The 1940s were a time when Birmingham was being intensely carpet-bombed every night by the Luftwaffe, or German Air Force. When Tommy Shelby finally returns, he finds a ruined city continuing to face devastating attacks and people unsure whether they’ll survive the night until the next morning.

After he becomes involved in secret wartime missions based on true events, Tommy faces new threats—as do the Peaky Blinders—when rising national stakes incite dangerous threats, leaving Tommy to contend with his past and its effects, including the war.

What to Expect

Answers, action, and excitement amid a potent blend of historical drama, crime thriller, and character study are what you can expect out of The Immortal Man.

We’ll get a lot of what we got in the Peaky Blinders series, just much more of it—i.e., murder, betrayal, violence, profanity, and more grit, shoot-outs, and street brawls than you can shake a stick at. Yummy!

We’ll also see a dramatic escalation of Tommy Shelby’s narrative set against the backdrop of World War 2, which will no doubt kick up his PTSD, so expect a roller coaster of wild, intense emotions. It’ll be interesting to see how he navigates his own existential crisis in the midst of this explosive chapter with much higher stakes.

The Immortal Man also boasts a bigger budget, which allows for a more expansive and immersive portrayal of the era, as well as more depth to this iconic street-gang saga. Expect the ravaged roads and alleys of a bombed Birmingham to come to life with a level of detail that was unattainable in the series.

Make no mistake: This will be full-on Peaky Blinders at war, no holds barred. Bet on this film to shock, delight, and horrify you, then turn around and do it all over again, straight through ‘til the very end.

Let’s Rap About the Cast

Who’s returning to reprise their Peaky Blinders roles, and who are the new additions?

Peaky Blinders’ creator Steven Knight is returning as showrunner while season one’s director, Tom Harper, is also back, along with, obviously, Cillian Murphy. Stephen Graham, of the 2025 hit crime series Adolescence and A Thousand Blows fame, will return as union leader Hayden Stagg, Sophie Rundle is back as Tommy’s sister Ada, and Ned Dennehy’s Charlie Strong will also be featured. Ian Peck’s Curly and Packy Lee’s Johnny Dogs will also be reprising their roles.

Additionally, Dune’s Rebecca Ferguson and Saltburn’s Barry Keoghan are confirmed to star in The Immortal Man, as are Tim Roth and Jay Lycurgo. Netflix’s first look at Keoghan’s mysterious character sees him sporting the infamous, blade-hiding flat cap while leaning out of a vehicle, ready to partake in whatever criminal business awaits and will surely drive the Peaky Blinders right into more violent shenanigans.

Knight has also said in interviews that a new character introduced in the last season of Peaky Blinders will play a big part in the film—part of the “new generation.” No word yet on who that is, but we’re on pins and needles (at least I am) waiting to see.

Should You Watch the Series Before the Movie?

Yes. Given that The Immortal Man is a direct continuation of the British gangster series, watching the Peaky Blinders series is essential to understanding the film’s plot, characters, and history.

Familiarize yourself with characters, settings, perspectives, and subplots. You’ll not only connect with Tommy Shelby’s life story but also with his identity as a traumatized veteran and family man, in addition to his journey from a nobody with nothing to a power figure with wealth and international notoriety. It’s essential you know his interactions and relationships with his family and fellow Blinders, and the betrayal that plays out.

Will The Immortal Man Be the End of Thomas Shelby?

I’m leaning towards a hard no. While The Immortal Man does aim to provide a definitive conclusion to the first phase of Tommy Shelby’s journey, it will also open a new chapter in his complex story.

Also, neither Netflix nor Steven Knight have come out and said this movie will end the Peaky Blinders saga. In fact, Netflix has been leaning away from the finality of it all by calling the film “an epic continuation,” while Knight has called it “an explosive new chapter,” leaving the door wide open for more movies, spinoffs, and TV shows.

Recently, Knight teased a new project to Esquire that is set after the events of the Peaky Blinders movie, relaying that they’re going to focus on the new generation in a series that will take place after World War II. He says the movie won’t be the end of this gangster saga, and, according to a report to the NME, a seventh season of Peaky Blinders has been greenlit by the BBC and will be set in the 1950s.

Murphy’s Thomas Shelby could return, but only as a father figure to younger gang members. We don’t care, though, just as long as he returns.

The Immortal Man Release Date and Trailer

While Netflix has not announced an official release date as of this publication, we do know that the highly anticipated film is expected to hit the streaming giant sometime in late 2025 or early 2026. The film wrapped production in late 2024 and went straight into post-production, including CGI and scoring, so a date closer to or just after the New Year’s debut is more likely.

The streamer has also not yet released an official trailer, but as soon as they do, you can find it right here.

The Peaky Blinders Story So Far

Peaky Blinders chronicles the Shelby family’s rise from poverty to international power under the guidance of Thomas Shelby. It’s gritty, explosive, and just plain remarkable. The series’ use of violence, business, and political manipulation to deal with rivals like the Italian mafia and the British fascist movement is just as intense as watching these characters grapple with the consequences of ambition and the trauma of war. Here’s a brief summary of each season:

• Season 1 (1919): World War I ends, and after accidentally stealing a shipment of guns, the Peaky Blinders strike a deal for their return after discovering they’ve been infiltrated by an undercover agent, who develops a relationship with Tommy. Tommy also corners and gains control of the betting market from Billy Kimber (Charlie Creed-Miles).
• Season 2 (1921): Ireland’s War of Independence ends, and Tommy finds himself working undercover for the Crown. More members of the Shelby family show up as the Peaky Blinders expand their operation into London and face off with rival gangs in The Jazz Age, including an Italian gangster, a vengeful Chief Inspector, and a Jewish gang leader, played by Tom Hardy.
• Season 3 (1924): Shelby family fortunes are on the rise, and so is the first-ever Labour government, elected in 1923. After Tommy is blackmailed, the Shelbys become entangled in a dangerous international plot involving an anti-communist organization and Russian royalty, with Tommy caught between a rock and a hard place.
• Season 4 (1926): America and England clash when an Italian gangster launches a blood feud with the Peaky Blinders, and he isn’t the only one. As women workers go on strike, Tommy runs for Parliament as the Labour representative for Birmingham and wins, clashing with the rise of the British fascist movement. *Major family drama here!
• Season 5 (1929): The Roaring Twenties come to a screeching halt with the Wall Street crash of 1929, otherwise known as The Great Depression, which Tommy slips into after his plan to murder a burgeoning fascist backfires.
• Season 6 (ends in 1933): Tommy fights against fascism, a revenge plot against him by his nephew, and a terminal diagnosis that turns out to be a false alarm. He, the Peaky Blinders, and the world are forever changed by war and the rise of political extremism and, as a result, Tommy rides off into the sunset.

Keep in mind that, in between all of this, there’s so much deliciously shocking family drama going on, and Winston Churchill—yes, that Churchill—is all up in this series.

But by the end, we’re left with questions. Where does Tommy go, and what’s he been up to? The Peaky Blinders movie, currently titled The Immortal Man, aims to answer all of that and more, so before it gets here, familiarize or reacquaint yourself with Britain’s most powerful gang.

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Peaky Blinders is raw human emotion wrapped in truth, reality, and chaos as one of the best crime drama series to ever grace our TV screens. There’s no doubt The Immortal Man will blow our minds and secure that status even further, leaving us thirsting for more. To unlock a curated list of other similar shows, use Netflix’s secret codes to find the perfect selection!