Steven Knight scrapes Tom Hardy cameo in new *Peaky Blinders* twist for "immature" reason
Peaks creator and writer, Steven Knight has scrapped a major plot point that would have featured an unexpected return from actor Tommy Collins. The decision to remove the character was driven by his belief it added unnecessary confusion rather than narrative depth during *Peaky Blinders* season 6's "Immortal Man" arc. While fans eagerly anticipated Hardy as one of several returning stars, Knight confirmed in interviews that this specific storyline has been eliminated from production plans for Season Seven ahead of its May release date on Amazon Prime Video
Key Points
-
1[Mar 25] Director Steve McQueen is not involved in the film; it was directed by a different team.
-
2"Steven" (likely referring to Steven Knight) has confirmed that Tom Hardy's character, Alfie Solomons, would have returned as an antagonist via ghost story twist if he had been included.
Developments
Steven Knight considered including Tom Hardy (Alfie Solomons) appearing ghostly alongside Cillian Murphy for his Peaky Blinders film but ultimately decided against this twist. He also confirmed that Paul Anderson would not appear as Arthur Shelby, stating instead focused on the story's emotional conclusion to Tommy's character arc before its Netflix release.
Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight revealed his abandoned plan for Netflix's *The Immortal Man* would have included Tom Hardy returning as Alfie Solomons. This potential twist involved the revelation that Hardys character had been dead all along, appearing only to Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) in a ghostly capacity rather than physically surviving Season 4 and making brief appearances later on.
Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight revealed his intention to include Alfie Solomons in the new film *The Immortal Man* as either an actual return or another ghost haunting Tommy Shelby. Although he initially considered having Tom Hardy reprise this role, a significant plot twist was ultimately abandoned due to constraints such as Hardy's busy schedule and other narrative factors involving Grace (Annabelle Wallis).
Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight addressed Paul Anderson's absence and obscured face in *The Immortal Man*, explaining that his character Arthur Shelby was killed off-screen by Tommy after stealing opium. Although viewers have criticized this plot development as "confusing" or disrespectful, the film confirmed there were no plans to recast with a new actor for the role following reports of Anderson's drug-related legal issues in 2024.