Will Paul Anderson reprise the role of Arthur Shelby in the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie? Speculations explored

After Sam Claflin's recent reveal that his character, Oswald Mosley, will not appear in the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie, fans are concerned about another beloved character, Arthur Shelby.

Played by Paul Anderson to perfection, Arthur Shelby is the eldest Shelby brother in Stephen Knight's period crime series and certainly the fiercest member of Cillian Murphy's Tommy's pack. While Arthur lacks the brains and strategic tactics of his brother, he more than makes up for it with his muscle power.

Considering Arthur Shelby is one of the most important characters in Peaky Blinders, it is concerning that he is still not confirmed for The Immortal Man. In addition to Murphy, actors Stephen Graham, Sophie Rundle, Ned Dennehy, Packy Lee, and Ian Peck are confirmed to reprise their respective characters.

With the film nearing its release, it seems that Anderson might not return as Arthur Shelby, much to his fans' disappointment.

Here we explore the possibilities of Arthur Shelby's return in the Peaky Blinders movie.

What happened to Paul Anderson's Arthur Shelby in the Peaky Blinders finale?

While The Immortal Man has confirmed a lot of returning cast from Peaky Blinders, fans are eagerly waiting for the news of Paul Anderson's Arthur Shelby's return. The crime drama series debuted with the three core Shelby brothers, Tommy, Arthur, and John, who brought their perfect balance and individual quirks to the show.

However, after John's tragic death in the Season 4 premiere, the three musketeers were down to two, but Tommy had to bear the loss of both his brothers. While John was brutally gunned down by Luca Changretta's men, Arthur Shelby went into a spiral of alcohol due to his brother's death. John's death also marked the downfall of Arthur Shelby's character, and the once hot-headed gangster was now often found passed out at the entrances of random pubs in Birmingham.

While Tommy too struggled with his inner demons and war-induced PTSD, Arthur miserably failed in keeping his life together. His condition becomes even worse in the latter seasons of Peaky Blinders, following his divorce from Linda. To make things more tragic, Arthur also learns about Tommy's tuberculoma diagnosis, which completely shatters him, and he even contemplates suicide.

In the Season 6 finale, while everyone was present at Tommy's farewell dinner (even Linda), Arthur failed to show up. Linda reads a cryptic note from him at the dinner, and the last time we saw Arthur, he was sitting by a pond of fish, watching his reflection in the water.

Can Paul Anderson's Arthur Shelby return in the Peaky Blinders movie?

After Sam Claflin's recent departure, the chances of Paul Anderson reprising his Arthur Shelby character in The Immortal Man seem to be even thinner. In addition, Arthur had an indefinite and open ending in the Peaky Blinders finale, with many fans assuming that he might have succumbed to his suicidal thoughts and the movie will open with the reveal of his off-screen death.

While nothing is confirmed and the upcoming movie might reveal that Arthur Shelby died off-screen, Paul Anderson could still make some cameo appearances in the film. Considering that the actor was such a big part of the ensemble, it will be a shame not to have him beside Tommy in his (allegedly) final adventure.

In addition, legal obligations on the grounds of substance possession got Paul Anderson on his weaker foot for a while, but his fans certainly believe in the actor's talents and surely want him to return as Arthur Shelby.

The actor certainly loves his Peaky Blinders character (and played it to perfection), as he once revealed in an interview with BBC:

“They’re the most interesting roles to play: violent, brutal, dark characters. There’s so much scope because you can do the obvious brutish kind of stuff, but then you can play the sort of different layers with a violent man. There’s a reason for that sort of behavior and mentality. Men were hard men and if they weren’t then they were left behind. It was a pleasure to play Arthur Shelby. Much better than playing the nice guy.”

The Immortal Man wrapped filming in December 2024 and will likely hit Netflix in late 2025.

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