Tommy Shelby is practically synonymous with the Peaky Blinders franchise, but his fate following the events of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man has now been clarified. Since the show first began airing in 2013, Cillian Murphy’s performance as Tommy Shelby has become one of the most iconic elements of the wildly successful Peaky Blinders. The positive reactions to Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man go some way toward establishing the widespread popularity of the preceding TV show, with the movie offering a years-later epilogue to the events of the show’s epic season 6 finale. Picking up on the themes of the late stages of the show, The Immortal Man served as the final chapter in Tommy Shelby’s story.
In an interview with ScreenRant, actor Cillian Murphy and Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, as well as a handful of Murphy’s A-list co-stars, have clarified what Tommy Shelby’s death really means. The death of Cillian Murphy’s Peaky Blinders character might just be the most important moment in the franchise’s history to date, and the actor explained that his death came as “almost like a mercy killing where [Duke] was giving his father peace.” Tommy’s line, “I am a horse”, establishes that he is not only ready to die, but that he wants his son to be the man to end his life. It’s a poetic send-off for an iconic character, and while shocking, it’s subtly the perfect way for him to go.
Why Tommy Shelby’s The Immortal Man Ending is the Perfect Goodbye
Throughout Peaky Blinders‘ six-season run, the show’s focus on the criminal activities of Tommy Shelby and his titular gang saw the character survive countless life-threatening moments. One of the core ideas of the latter stories in the show’s initial run was the theme of legacy and succession, which, as clearly outlined by Steven Knight, led to Tommy Shelby receiving the perfect end. Having him be mortally wounded in the final confrontation with Beckett, but ultimately tasking his son Duke with delivering the killing shot, is likely the most poetic ending imaginable for Tommy Shelby.
Following on from the ending of the Peaky Blinders show, The Immortal Man‘s story, set several years later, finally delivers on the promise established by season 6. The central theme of the final season was Tommy facing off against his younger cousin, Michael Gray, in a battle for control over the gang and its future. While Tommy ultimately won that battle, having the movie’s poignant ending focus on the character accepting the necessity of a successor and the finality of that decision was the right choice.
In having Tommy Shelby effectively order his own death, he hands total control of his legacy over to his son, Duke. Not only does this begin a new chapter in the franchise’s history, but it gives Tommy the ending that he deserves, coming through his own agency rather than explicitly at the hands of an enemy. While it was still a violent end for a violent man, it was a moment that was carefully considered to bid Tommy Shelby the perfect farewell, as outlined by the comments of Murphy, Knight, and several other actors from Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man‘s cast.
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