Why Alfie Solomons Is Missing From Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man

Despite positioning itself as the definitive cinematic conclusion to the acclaimed British crime saga, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man makes a conspicuous omission that has dominated fan discourse since the film’s release on Netflix. Tom Hardy’s Alfie Solomons, the unpredictable Camden Town gangster whose mercurial alliance with Cillian Murphy’s Tommy Shelby formed a central pillar of the original BBC series, is nowhere to be found in the feature-length epilogue. Writer and series creator Steven Knight has now addressed the absence directly, revealing that the character’s exclusion was a deliberate creative choice driven by the need to maintain narrative focus and ensure the film remained accessible to audiences unfamiliar with the Shelby family’s extensive history.

The Absence of a Fan Favorite

Throughout the original six-season run of Peaky Blinders, few relationships proved as compelling or as combustible as the one shared between Tommy Shelby and Alfie Solomons. Beginning as rivals in the illegal horserace-betting underworld before evolving into uneasy allies during the Shelby family’s territorial conflicts with Italian gangs, their dynamic existed in a perpetual state of tension. The characters repeatedly rescued one another from peril only to pivot back to antagonism when self-interest demanded, creating a complex “frenemy” relationship that felt distinct from simpler hero-villain dichotomies.

Alfie’s narrative weight within the franchise cannot be overstated. Beyond serving as Tommy’s most persistent rival, the character played an outsized role in the Shelby family’s ascent to power, often acting as both obstacle and unlikely benefactor. His apparent death and subsequent resurrection in the television series only cemented his status as a survivor seemingly destined to appear in any definitive conclusion. Given the film’s subtitle—The Immortal Man—and the finality of Tommy’s arc, many viewers expected the Jewish gangster to make at least a brief appearance, perhaps arriving in the third act to either save Tommy from a precarious situation or betray him one final time for old times’ sake.

Instead, the narrative remains locked on the fractured relationship between Tommy and his estranged son Duke, portrayed by Barry Keoghan. This father-son dynamic occupies the film’s emotional center, leaving little room for the extended ensemble that characterized the television series. While Alfie’s absence may disappoint longtime fans hoping for one last negotiation between the two men, the creative team prioritized this new paternal conflict over legacy reunions.

Who Returns for the Shelby Send-Off?

The film’s cast list reflects Knight’s mandate for restraint. Rather than populating the movie with a revolving door of familiar faces from the Small Heath days, The Immortal Man features a surprisingly sparse roster of returning series regulars.

The confirmed returning cast includes:

• Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby, the beleaguered patriarch
• Sophie Rundle as Ada Shelby, Tommy’s sister and political confidant
• Stephen Graham reprising his role as Hayden Stagg
• Ned Dennehy as Uncle Charlie Strong
• Packy Lee returning as Johnny Dogs
• Ian Peck as Curly, the family retainer

Joining the established ensemble, Barry Keoghan appears as Duke, the wayward son whose relationship with Tommy drives the plot. Director Tom Harper helms the project, working from Knight’s screenplay.

Notable by their absence, beyond Hardy, are several characters central to the series’ later seasons. Sam Claflin’s Oswald Mosley, the fascist politician who served as the primary antagonist in the show’s final television chapters, does not appear. Similarly missing is Harry Kirton’s Finn Shelby, the exiled younger sibling whose betrayal fractured the family, as well as Natasha O’Keeffe’s Lizzie Shelby, Tommy’s estranged wife. Even Annabelle Wallis’s Grace Shelby, whose spectral presence haunted Tommy throughout the series, is absent from the cinematic conclusion.

Steven Knight’s Creative Rationale

In a recent interview with /Film, Knight elaborated on the decision to exclude Alfie and other legacy characters from the narrative. The writer explained that the structural differences between television and feature filmmaking necessitated a more disciplined approach to character inclusion. Where the series enjoyed the luxury of time to develop sprawling subplots and rotating alliances, the compressed runtime of a film demanded ruthless prioritization.

“I think, the thing is when you’re writing a TV series, you have the luxury of time and you can populate it with more characters,” Knight stated. “But for the film, I had to be laser-focused and it has to be on Tommy […] So the story determined who would be in the film, really.”

This creative philosophy extended beyond mere runtime constraints. Knight emphasized that every character included needed to serve the central narrative rather than exist as fan service. The theoretical inclusion of Alfie Solomons would have required significant screen time to justify his presence, potentially distracting from the father-son reconciliation at the story’s heart. Similarly, providing context for Lizzie’s estrangement or Mosley’s political machinations would have burdened the pacing for newcomers while offering little payoff for the specific tale Knight wished to tell.

Standalone Vision vs. Legacy Callbacks

Despite the streamlined cast, Knight maintained that The Immortal Man functions as a standalone piece of cinema rather than a mere coda requiring extensive homework. This accessibility mandate influenced every casting and narrative decision, including the omission of characters whose backstories would require excessive exposition for first-time viewers.

“There are natural callbacks from the series, like [Tommy] riding the horse through the streets and [the needle-drop of Nick Cave & The Bad Seed’s] ‘Red Right Hand,’ but I just wanted this to be standalone so that people who’ve never seen the show can watch the film and enjoy it,” Knight explained. “And that’s what’s happening.”

The result is a film that plays more as an extended epilogue than a traditional legacy sequel packed with callbacks and reunions. While director Tom Harper and Knight showcase restraint in resisting the temptation to bring back every surviving character for a final bow, the approach has generated mixed reactions from the fanbase. Some appreciate the focused storytelling and the avoidance of gratuitous fan service, while others lament the missed opportunity for one last scene between Tommy and his most unpredictable ally.

For viewers seeking closure on the Alfie-Tommy dynamic, the film offers none, leaving their last interaction firmly in the television series’ continuity. As Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man continues streaming on Netflix, the conversation around Knight’s editorial choices highlights the eternal tension between servicing longtime fans and creating accessible entry points for new audiences.

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