Peaky Blinders: First Trailer for The Immortal Man Returns Tommy Shelby to Wartime Birmingham

The first full trailer for the new film The Immortal Man places the peaky blinders narrative back in Birmingham during World War Two and confirms Cillian Murphy's return as Tommy Shelby. The preview introduces significant new casting and frames a generational confrontation that places family and country at stake.

Peaky Blinders: What happened and what's new

The newly released trailer confirms several core facts about the film. Cillian Murphy reprises his role as Tommy Shelby, now older and returning to Birmingham amid wartime destruction. The story is set in 1940 and opens with Tommy driven out of a self-imposed exile to confront what is described in publicity material as his most destructive reckoning yet.

New cast members visible in the trailer include Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Roth and Barry Keoghan. Keoghan appears as Duke Shelby, presented as Tommy's illegitimate son and the current leader of the Peaky Blinders gang. Familiar faces from the original series also appear; Stephen Graham and Sophie Rundle return to roles connected to Tommy and his family.

The trailer highlights a central conflict: Tommy must decide whether to confront his legacy or destroy it, with the future of his family and the wider country presented as intertwined with that choice. Short scenes suggest tense family arguments, a changed criminal landscape in Small Heath, and a son running the gang much as it was decades earlier.

Behind the headline

Context: The Immortal Man follows the long-running franchise established by the television series. The trailer frames this film as a direct continuation of the central character's arc, moving the narrative into the wartime period and explicitly focusing on legacy, mortality and responsibility.

Incentives and constraints: The film places the established lead back at its center while introducing younger talent in a role that complicates Tommy's authority. Casting an actor to play Tommy's son creates a built-in source of dramatic friction and a clear generational stakes framework. At the same time, an older Tommy returning from exile limits the story to a tense house-of-conscience setup that must balance character reckoning with external wartime pressures.

Stakeholders: The principal stakeholders visible in the material are the returning lead character, his extended family and the new figure at the head of the gang. Creative stakeholders include the film's writers and directors shaping how the transition from series to movie will land, and the actors whose performances will determine whether the new conflicts feel fresh or repetitively familiar.

What we still don't know

• Exact release timing for the film and broader distribution details remain unannounced.
• Full plot specifics beyond the trailer's setup—how Tommy and his son might resolve their confrontation—are not yet revealed.
• Character backgrounds and motivations for some new cast members are not detailed in the preview.
• The scope of the wartime setting beyond visual backdrop—how the war will shape plot and stakes—is unclear.
• How the film will link to or diverge from the television series' unresolved threads has not been disclosed.

What happens next

• Wide theatrical release and critical reception: positive reviews would likely amplify interest in the franchise and in the new casting dynamic; early reactions to performances will shape public expectations.
• Character-driven reconciliation: the film could pivot toward repairing family bonds if the story foregrounds redemption and legacy management.
• Escalation into violence: the setup permits a violent showdown between Tommy and his son as a natural outcome of competing visions for the gang's future.
• Symbolic destruction of legacy: Tommy may consciously attempt to dismantle the structures he built, choosing to erase the Peaky Blinders imprint rather than pass it on.
• Extended franchise development: if the film emphasizes the new generation, it could reset the franchise around different leadership or spawn further sequels focused on the son's era.

Why it matters

The trailer marks a pivotal moment for fans and for the franchise's future. Bringing the central protagonist back in a wartime context with a high-profile younger antagonist refocuses the story on questions of inheritance, accountability and the moral costs of leadership. The casting choices put fresh attention on performance dynamics while preserving ties to the original ensemble, a combination likely to determine whether the film is perceived as a worthy extension of the series or as a retread.

In practical terms, the material released so far sets audience expectations for a character-driven drama that balances familial conflict with the broader pressures of a nation at war. Observers will be watching how release timing, reviews and audience reception shape the film's impact and the future direction of the Peaky Blinders story.