Barry Keoghan’s role as Duke Shelby in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man has been widely praised by fans, so much so that many have expected the Irish actor to take over from Cillian Murphy and star in the upcoming follow-up show.
Though Keoghan’s Birmingham accent has come under fire from fans his performance as Tommy’s estranged son left fans hoping the spin-off, which is set ten years after the ending of the film, would centre around Duke Shelby carrying on the legacy of Tommy.
This has even led to some suggesting that it could star Duke and Finn Shelby, the next generation of Shelby boys taking over from Tommy and Arthur.
Keoghan however has addressed his future with the series, and it isn’t looking good for fans who wanted Barry Keoghan to return as Duke in the follow-up show.
Barry Keoghan seemed unsure about continuing the series but doesn’t shut it down
Appearing at the New York Premiere of The Immortal Man, Keoghan was asked by Variety about continuing on the legacy of the Shelbys and returning to his character.
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The Saltburn star said: “I mean Steven and Cillian’s involvement and everyone else, being with Rebecca [Ferguson]… but it’s a lot to follow Tommy Shelby.
“It’s a lot and I don’t even want to attempt that to try, but Duke is a different sort of [character].”
Writer Steven Knight has spoken about how he worked on the series whilst writing the film, calling it a ‘stepping stone’ for the upcoming sequel show.
Duke Shelby could still be the lead of the show, even if Barry Keoghan doesn’t come back
Ultimately, the likelihood of Peaky Blinders doing a show about the gang and not including a single Shelby is incredibly low – the Shelby family is as much a core part of the show as the silly hats and Birmingham accents.
Fans on Reddit have pointed out that the time jump sets up the possibility of another actor taking on the role of Duke.
The as-of-yet-unnamed Peaky Blinders sequel series is set in 1953, 13 years after the events of the film, so Barry Keoghan would already struggle to play a character more than a decade older.
In addition to this, Duke was already played by a different actor in season six of the show, Conrad Khan.
Speaking about why Duke was recast from Conrad to Barry, Steven Knight told Digital Spy: “The time jump dictated who we were looking for, but equally, it's one of those castings that the minute the first rushes you look at, you realise it couldn't have been anybody else.”
What is the Peaky Blinders follow-up going to be about?
The focus of the show, and the time jump, were clarified when the official synopsis for the series was revealed. It reads: “Britain, 1953. After being heavily bombed in WWII, Birmingham is building a better future out of concrete and steel.
"In a new era of Steven Knight’s Peaky Blinders, the race to own Birmingham’s massive reconstruction project becomes a brutal contest of mythical dimensions. This is a city of unprecedented opportunity and danger: with the Shelby family right at its blood-soaked heart."
Topics: Peaky Blinders, Barry Keoghan, Cillian Murphy, TV and Film, Film, TV
Michael Slavin