Peaky Blinders unveils first look at 'lost' Shelby character as Stranger Things star takes on the role in new series
'Can you ever escape your own blood?'
Peaky Blinders is about to introduce its “next generation”, with Jamie Bell taking over as Duke – and a Stranger Things star is set to play another Shelby.
It’s been over four years since Cillian Murphy’s Thomas Shelby rode off on his white horse. That could have been the end of his story, but he returned in Netflix’s The Immortal Man. Without spoilers, let’s just say it was a definitive conclusion.
Now, the BBC is developing a brand-new Peaky Blinders series. Set 10 years after the film, it will deal with the fallout of the Second World War and the “race to rebuild Birmingham”.
While Barry Keoghan played Duke in the movie, Bell has replaced him for the next series. One star’s role had been kept a secret, but the BBC has finally revealed exactly who he’s playing.
***Warning: spoilers for Peaky Blinders and The Immortal Man ahead***
Stranger Things star Charlie Heaton to play Charles Shelby in new Peaky Blinders series
Charlie Heaton will officially play Charles Shelby, Tommy’s son, in the upcoming series of Peaky Blinders.
Heaton, best known for playing Jonathan in Stranger Things, as well as for roles in Industry and The New Mutants, is expected to appear in both new seasons.
“Having fought a violent war, much of it behind enemy lines, Charles Shelby is now embracing normality,” a BBC press release reads.
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“He hasn’t seen his half-brother Duke… in years. Charles severed all ties to the Peaky Blinders gang, and the hedonistic Shelby lifestyle. But can you ever escape your own blood?”
What happened to Charles Shelby in Peaky Blinders?
Charles, who’s the son of Tommy and Grace (Annabelle Wallis), didn’t play a major role in the series. There was a good reason for that: he was a child!
However, he never had the best relationship with Tommy. Whether it was his mother’s death, Tommy’s distant parenting, or Ruby’s unexpected passing in series 6, a rift grew between them.
This culminated in him choosing to leave with Lizzie (Natasha O’Keeffe) at the end of series 6.
“Mum, I’ll come with you. I’d rather be with you. Wherever it is. You’re not my mum… but you’re more my mum than he’s my dad. He’s never here. I’d be on my own here,” he said.
Tommy agreed, and that was the last we saw of him. However, he did make a brief appearance in The Immortal Man, gathering with the rest of the Shelby family for Tommy’s funeral.
We know that Charles had enlisted to fight in WWII, travelling as far as the North African front.
The question is, will he re-embrace his family’s criminal lifestyle, and could we get a cameo from O’Keeffe? Also, what about Finn Shelby?
Who else is in the new cast?
Alongside Bell and Heaton, the new Peaky Blinders series will also star:
- Jessica Brown Findlay (Silo, The Flatshare)
- Lashana Lynch (The Day of The Jackal, No Time to Die)
- Lucy Karczewski (Stereophonic)
Their exact roles have yet to be revealed, so it’s unclear if they’re playing anyone we’ve seen before, if they’re related to past characters, or if they’re playing brand-new characters.
“I am thrilled that we are announcing a new era of Peaky Blinders, moving the story to post-war Birmingham in the early 50s,” Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight said in an earlier statement.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have Jamie Bell taking the role of Tommy Shelby’s oldest son, Duke, and to have Charlie Heaton also leading the cast. There are more exciting cast announcements to come, and Peaky is on the road again.”
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