Cillian Murphy Says PEAKY BLINDERS Movie Is the “Natural Conclusion” for Tommy Shelby

Fans of Peaky Blinders have wondered how Tommy Shelby’s story would ultimately end. Now that Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man has arrived in theaters, star Cillian Murphy says the long journey with the iconic crime boss has reached its proper endpoint.

Murphy recently spoke at a press event in London and reflected on what it means to close the book on the character he’s played for more than a decade. After six seasons of the hit series and years of discussions about continuing the story, the film was designed to serve as the final chapter for Tommy Shelby.

"We'd been talking about making a film for a long time," Murphy begins. "And then we were going to do series 7, and then the pandemic happened, and that put the kibosh on that. And then the film came into focus."

The goal from the start wasn’t simply to extend the story. Murphy explained that the team wanted the film to justify its existence and deliver a proper ending to the saga.

"The challenge from the start, Murphy says, was always "to see if we could make something that would justify its existence and that would be the satisfying conclusion, and a satisfying final chapter on the whole TV show, and to try and make it in two hours as opposed to six.”

Set in 1940, The Immortal Man takes place seven years after the events of season six. Tommy Shelby has disappeared into exile following devastating personal losses. Back in Birmingham, the Peaky Blinders are now being led by Tommy’s son Duke, played by Barry Keoghan.

Duke soon finds himself tangled in a dangerous Nazi scheme involving forged currency meant to destabilize the British economy.

While the film still carries the crime drama intensity fans expect, it also leans into a more reflective side of Tommy Shelby. After years of power plays, wars, and survival, the character is forced to look inward.

For Murphy, that emotional angle made the film feel like the right place to leave the character behind.

"For me, for sure. I think Steven [Knight, creator] and the universe of Peaky Blinders can continue, you know, and I'm sure it will. But it's been a quarter of my life playing this character, and that's an awfully long time by anyone's standards. But a deeply satisfying one.

“I felt we managed to achieve something with the TV show and that each season became richer and deeper, and we never plateaued, which I think is a trick to pull off. And therefore, above all, I wanted it to be a present to the fans, like a return on their investment."

Even though Murphy seems ready to step away from Tommy Shelby, the world of Peaky Blinders isn’t going anywhere. A two-season continuation set in 1953 has already been announced, focusing on the next generation of the Shelby empire. That means the story will keep moving forward, just likely without Tommy at the center.

Murphy also shared his appreciation for the creative partnership that helped shape the character for so many years.

"Steve Knight's one of the greatest writers in the world," adds Murphy, "And I have just been so lucky to have worked with him for such a long time and to have worked on a character like this for such a long time, and of course, you want to take it to its natural conclusion."

For fans who followed Tommy Shelby from the smoky pubs of Birmingham to the political battlegrounds of Britain, The Immortal Man delivers that closing chapter Murphy is talking about.

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is now avialbvle to watch on Netflix.