Cillian Murphy shares verdict on Arthur Shelby's ending in Peaky Blinders movie

Olivia Burke
2026-03-27T15:43:08.682Z
Entertainment

The star told LADbible what he thought of how his on-screen brother's demise was handled by Steven Knight

Throughout the Peaky Blinders series, Tommy Shelby was rarely seen without his signature flat cap, a pistol and a packet of cigarettes.

The same goes for him in the feature film, which brings his character's story to a close after an extraordinary 13 years - but one of his must-haves was missing.

We're of course talking about the huge elephant in the room that is the absence of his sibling and trusty sidekick, Arthur Shelby.

Speaking to LADbible, Cillian Murphy revealed what he really thinks of the way screenwriter Steven Knight handled the Paul Anderson-sized hole in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.

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The way Arthur's demise played out on screen has proved to be one of the most controversial plot points in the feature film and fans of the Peaky Blinders franchise have had a lot to say about it.

Quite a lot has transpired since the final season of the show, which culminated with Tommy riding off into the distance, leaving viewers unsure of what fate awaited him.

In Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, we are reintroduced to the grief-stricken Birmingham gangster, who is shunning his loved ones in favour of spending his days writing a book.

Tommy is more concerned about the internal conflict he's facing rather than the outbreak of World War Two, as evidenced when he tells his sister Ada: "I’ve got a war of my own. Inside my head."

Still plagued by PTSD and haunted from the ghosts of his past, we soon learn that his brother, Arthur, has also died, compounding on his misery... but all is not as it seems.

Peaky Blinders fans were left gobsmacked when it was revealed that the grave belonged to Arthur (Netflix)

Viewers later find out that Arthur's death was by Tommy's hand and that the rumours that he took his own life aren't true.

The Shelby family lived and died by the rule that blood is thicker than water throughout the series, so this revelation left Peaky Blinders fans reeling - with some pretty upset by how it was handled.

Speaking to LADbible about what it was like to snuff out his beloved brother, Murphy said he felt it was quite fitting that all of the core family members - besides Finn (Harry Kirton) - have now met their maker.

"Steve has always handled that part of the storytelling very…deathly I think," the Irish actor told us, reflecting on Arthur's death.

"There’s always been that kind of great loss throughout the series and I guess, inevitably, if you live by the sword, you can die by the sword.

People had hoped that Anderson and Murphy would see out the story together on-screen (Instagram/@boyceyboycey)

"That’s the sort of terrible cost that living in a gangster family exacts, you never know who’s going to make it.

"But I feel like it’s been an evolution, every series has been an evolution - and I really feel like the film kind of tops it all off."

Murphy reckons that Peaky Blinders acquired such a huge army of fans because viewers 'connected to the humanity of the story'.

"They all suffer...if someone gets injured in Peaky, they stay injured," he explained. "They go to hospital and come out months later, you know? There are consequences to the violence.

"The main theme of the whole show was trauma," he continued. "These men came back from World War One and were absolutely destroyed by what they had experienced and seen."

Murphy also paid tribute to the late Helen McCrory, who played his beloved aunt Polly, and LADbible how he 'loved' that Knight 'kept her memory alive throughout series six and the film'.

Murphy told LADbible that there has always been a theme of 'great loss' throughout the series (Netflix)

Anderson previously told LADbible that Knight had given him the heads up about his character's tragic fate. Although he acknowledges it was a 'sad' way to close this chapter, he reckons the writing was 'great'.

In an Instagram post shared after Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man arrived on Netflix, the actor heaped praise on his on-screen brother Murphy, as well as the mastermind behind the Peaky Blinders, Knight.

"[Tommy's] legacy is eternal, just like the Shelby name," he wrote. "What Cillian Murphy has done is on another level. And Steven Knight...a true visionary, someone I have infinite respect for.

"None of this exists without him. The world, the characters, everything you've connected with...it all came from that vision and trust me when it I say it continues...

"This is the next chapter, and it’s a big one. Get behind it. Watch it. Be part of it like you always have. The Shelby legacy is eternal. Arthur is forever."

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is now streaming on Netflix.