Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man Almost Included A Twist Involving Tom Hardy's Alfie

Netflix

This article contains spoilers for "Peaky Blinders" and "Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man."

Four years aft "Peaky Blinders" came to an end, writer Steven Knight and head Tom Harper returned for "Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man," the long-awaited movie continuation of nan show. The movie has been connected Netflix's Top 10 charts since nan time it debuted, proving that audiences ne'er look to tyre of adventures involving nan Shelby crime family, arsenic led by Oscar victor Cillian Murphy.

While Murphy was nan headliner, nan sprawling "Peaky Blinders" ensemble formed was conscionable arsenic important to its success. Recognizable faces would often popular up successful supporting roles arsenic friends aliases villains, from large names for illustration Sam Neill and Adrien Brody to classical "that guy" actors for illustration Noah Taylor ("Game of Thrones"), Tommy Flanagan ("Sons of Anarchy"), and Alexander Siddig ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"). Perhaps nan biggest of them all, though, and surely nan astir eccentric, was Tom Hardy, who played Jewish gangster Alfie Solomons and served arsenic an unpredictable frenemy to nan Shelbys from play 2 done 6.

Despite surviving nan events of "Peaky Blinders," Alfie Solomons does not look successful "The Immortal Man." But successful a caller interview, screenwriter Steven Knight explained that he initially toyed pinch incorporating Alfie into nan movie — and successful a measurement that would person recontextualized what we'd seen before.

"I didn't do it successful nan end, but I had an idea, which I haven't really spoken about. Ever since [Alfie] was changeable connected nan formation astatine Margate [in play 4], you've only ever seen Tommy and Alfie together alone. There's ne'er been anyone else," Knight told The Hollywood Reporter. "I thought, Maybe he appears, and we recognize he's been dormant each that time. Now, I astir did that, and I didn't do it, but that was a thought."

Netflix

This isn't nan first clip personification associated pinch nan show has indicated Tom Hardy's Alfie Solomons has been a shade since Tommy changeable him successful nan look astatine nan extremity of play 4. Director Anthony Byrne suggested that mentation respective years ago; we wrote astir it successful an article astir nan enigma of Alfie's skin.

But that's an thought that whitethorn sound mind-blowing astatine first, but erstwhile you drill down connected it, doesn't really make a batch of sense. Yes, technically nary 1 other was connected surface pinch Tommy and Alfie during Hardy's appearances successful seasons 5 and 6. But if Alfie really died astatine nan extremity of play 4, that intends Tommy traveled each nan measurement to Margate astatine nan extremity of play 5, was fto into a seaside room by a servant woman, and conscionable ... sat location by himself, imagining a speech pinch Alfie? Without Alfie's power successful nan Jewish community, really did Tommy negociate to person a bunch of Jewish men to show up during Oswald Mosley's fascist rally, wherever nan botched assassination effort occurs? It doesn't track.

Personally, I'm gladsome Steven Knight only toyed pinch this thought and didn't really spell each nan measurement pinch it. I overmuch for illustration nan conception of Alfie virtually shooting his weapon astatine random passing ships done his unfastened model (as he claims he does successful play 5), and past ending up controlling Boston aft Tommy takes down Jack Nelson (James Frecheville) successful play 6. Hardy's unthinkable capacity deserves much weight than conscionable "he was a shade for a while." Plus, surviving that gunshot lends nan man an almost mythological position that feels wholly due for this all-timer character.