Peaky Blinders: Could Tommy Shelby's son turn out to be a traitor in The Immortal Man? Speculations explored as trailer drops 

Aashna
Barry Keoghan as Duke Shelby in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man (Image via Netflix)
Barry Keoghan as Duke Shelby in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man (Image via Netflix)

Netflix has unveiled the first official trailer for Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, the upcoming feature film that will continue Steven Knight's BAFTA-winning crime series, which originally ran for six seasons, from 2013 to 2022.

The first official trailer marks the return of Oscar-winning actor Cillian Murphy as the flat-cap-wearing leader of the titular pack, Tommy Shelby, who now dons grey hair and is much older than how we left him in the Season 6 finale. The returning cast from the series includes Emmy-winning actor Stephen Graham as Hayden Stagg, Sophie Rundle as Tommy's sister Ada, Packy Lee as Johnny Dogs and Ian Peck as Curly.

However, fans are most excited to see newcomer and Academy Award-nominated actor Barry Keoghan, who will play Tommy's illegitimate son Erasmus 'Duke' Shelby in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. The first trailer teases that Tommy's 'gypsy son' might be a traitor who has turned to treason in his father's absence. Is Duke Shelby headed on a dangerous path that will directly pit him against his father?

More on this in our story.


Who is Duke Shelby in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man?

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Following Tommy's exile, Barry Keoghan's Duke Shelby will take control of Peaky Blinders, setting a new era of control and violence. As seasoned fans might remember, Duke Shelby is Tommy's illegitimate son with a Gypsy woman named Zelda.

After Zelda's death, Duke's aunt and John's widow, Esme, took him under her wing until he returned to Tommy in 1934. Despite Duke's initial reluctance, he was eventually roped into Tommy and the titular gang's illegal ways and even helped them defeat Michael in the final season.

The Immortal Man will mark Duke Shelby's return, not as Tommy's son, but as the new leader of the Peaky Blinders.

Set in 1940 Birmingham, the official synopsis for The Immortal Man reads as follows:

''Amidst the chaos of World War II, Tommy Shelby is driven back from a self-imposed exile to face his most destructive reckoning yet. With the future of the family and the country at stake, Tommy must face his own demons, and choose whether to confront his legacy, or burn it to the ground.''

Duke Shelby might be a traitor in The Immortal Man

While the future of his family & legacy is uncertain, Tommy Shelby announces 'he is not that man anymore' and initially refuses to take responsibility for his son's actions. It's only after Rebecca Ferguson's Kaulo and Ada jolt him out of his exile that Tommy returns to his kingdom in Birmingham. In the trailer, Ada warns Tommy about Duke's actions:

"Your gypsy son is running the Peaky Blinders like it's 1919, all over again."

The scene shifts to Tim Roth's English gentleman officer, Beckett, making a secretive offer to Duke:

"I need to know that you are willing to take part in an act of treason that will decide this war for Germany.''

To this, Tommy's son replies:

''The world don't give a f*ck about me, and I don't give a f*ck about the world.''

While the Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man trailer does not explicitly label Duke as a traitor, his cocky reply practically confirms his position in the ongoing war.

In addition to these hints in the trailer, fans are speculating that Duke Shelby would choose to be a traitor in the upcoming film, primarily because Tommy abandoned him after the Peaky Blinders' series finale. While Duke was an illegitimate child, he was labeled as Tommy's gypsy son, probably leading to his deep-seated resentment with the title.

The last shot in the trailer features a muddied and tired Tommy drinking in a bar as Duke watches him from across the table. This sets up an interesting dichotomy between the characters, which hints that Tommy can go against his son in the Peaky Blinders feature film. Moreover, since the film will feature Tommy's 'most destructive reckoning yet,' a clash between the father-son duo seems inevitable.

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man will be released in select theatres on March 6 and on Netflix on March 20.


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Edited by Aashna