Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man has confirmed a major Shelby family recast.
Following the end of Peaky Blinders season 6, the Shelby story will continue in The Immortal Man. When audiences last saw Duke Shelby in season 6, he was played by Conrad Khan. Being Tommy Shelby’s long-lost son, Duke quickly became an important part of the family’s future, especially as Tommy began stepping back from direct control of the business.
However, it has been confirmed that Barry Keoghan will take over the role of Duke Shelby in The Immortal Man. The recasting comes alongside the film’s time jump, which advances the timeline several years beyond the show’s final season. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Knight addressed the decision to cast Keoghan as Tommy’s son. Read his comments below:
I never leap on board when people start saying about an actor, ‘Oh my God, he’s got this stillness.” You start using all these words about an actor. But with him, it’s all true. I wanted him to be the son from the beginning, and when we knew we got him, he took it to another level. Who he is in real life is perfect for this. He’s just so good.
The Immortal Man will see Tommy Shelby after a time jump to 1940, as he returns to Birmingham from exile during World War II. The Immortal Man stars Cillian Murphy, Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Roth, Sophie Rundle, Stephen Graham, Ned Dennehy, Packy Lee, Ian Peck, and Jay Lycurgo, alongside Keoghan.
Knight’s comments make it clear that Keoghan was the top choice for the role and that the recasting was less about replacing Khan and more about evolving the character. With the story now set in the 1940s, Duke will be older and likely more involved with the Shelby empire.
Casting an actor like Keoghan, known for his intense screen presence in films like Saltburn, Crime 101, and The Killing of a Sacred Deer, indicates that Duke’s role in the film will be significant. His experience of often playing complex and unpredictable characters could be exactly what Peaky Blinders needs as it transitions from television to the big screen.
Keoghan’s Duke is being positioned as a driving force in the film’s story. In the trailer and early descriptions, he has seemingly taken the reins of the Peaky Blinders in Tommy’s absence. As Ada Shelby says in the trailer, “Your gypsy son is running the Peaky Blinders like it’s 1919 all over again.” Showing that Duke has completely taken over Tommy’s gang and his former territory.
The Immortal Man will also apparently explore Duke and Tommy’s strained relationship. While the film will be the last time we see Murphy as Tommy Shelby, the franchise clearly has one eye on the future, and Knight’s strong endorsement of Keoghan suggests that he could have a major role in the Peaky Blinders franchise going forward.
With The Immortal Man set to continue the Shelby saga on a larger scale, the recasting of Duke marks a major moment for the franchise. This could signal that Keoghan will be leading the upcoming sequel series Netflix is currently developing with Knight. However, this is only speculation, as it is unknown if Duke Shelby will survive the events of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man hits select theaters on March 6 and lands on Netflix on March 20.