Shelby brother absent from Peaky Blinders movie could play major role in sequel series

Warning: This articles contains spoilers for Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man

Stephen Knight finally brought the iconic story of Tommy Shelby full circle in The Immortal Man, with Cillian Murphy's tormented gangster finally finding peace after one final mission to stop the Nazis from bankrupting Britain during World War II.

The film gave a definitive ending to Tommy - who was shot in the heart by his son Duke (recast as Barry Keoghan) on his order - as well as bringing the stories of his surviving siblings to a heartbreaking conclusion.

Well, nearly all of them.

Because myself - and presumably several other fans - will have likely come out of the cinema thinking, 'Where on earth is Finn in all of this?'

Finn ended season six on very bad terms with his family (BBC)

What happened to Finn, the youngest Shelby sibling?

When we were first introduced to the Shelby family in season one, it was Polly Gray (Helen McCrory) looking after her sister's five children in Small Heath, Birmingham.

This was of course Arthur, Tommy, John, Ada and Finn, who starts the show as a young child.

By the end of The Immortal Man, we've seen the deaths of Tommy as well as Arthur, who was strangled by an enraged Tommy, and Ada, who is fatally shot by fascist villain John Beckett (Tim Roth).

John, of course, died in the opening episode of season four, when the Changrettas declared war on the Shelby family – leaving Finn as the last remaining living sibling.

So why is he not only absent but not even acknowledged as existing in the film?

Fans who recently binge-watched the series in anticipation for The Immortal Man will remember that Finn ended the season on very bad terms with his nephew Duke and, by extension, the rest of the clan.

Finn and Tommy Shelby in season one (BBC)

In the closing episode of season six, 'Lock and Key', Finn fails to shoot Billy Grade, which had been ordered by Tommy as a test of loyalty to the family.

Duke then banishes Finn from the family 'by order of the Peaky f**king Blinders' meaning he is essentially forced out of Birmingham and left to go it alone.

Fast forward six years to 1940, which is where The Immortal Man takes place, and it would appear the family still hold a grudge against Finn, with neither Tommy or Ada even acknowledging the existence younger brother.

He's not even present at either of his sibling's funerals, a move which seems pretty extreme when you consider that Tommy's younger son Charles was able to get leave from fighting on the front line in Africa to visit.

Although, admittedly, I'm not well versed in the intricacies of banishment in a 20th century Birmingham gang.

As the only remaining Shelby sibling, could Finn make a comeback in the spin off? (BBC)

Was Finn's eventual return foreshadowed in the season six finale?

With Finn ousted but not dead, he remains the only member family originally introduced to us who is still alive and kicking, meaning he could very well crop up in the new spin off series Knight is working on.

Few details about the series have been confirmed other than Knight saying it would focus on a 'new generation of Shelby's', likely to be Keoghan's Duke, leaving fans with plenty to speculate about as they wait for the series to hit our screens.

Duke could very well be joined by his half-brother Charles, the son of Tommy and Grace, as well as Ada's two children. There's also scope to introduce Arthur's son and John's children as they are also part of the 'next generation' – but what about any of the other family members?

And this is where many people believe the stage is set for Finn to crop back up in the story. When we last saw Finn he was furious over his banishment, telling Duke that he'll 'f**king come for you' at some point in the future, a line which provides him with the perfect motive to return should Knight wish to.

Finn's parting threat and potential return is something which other fans have picked up on as well, with the future of his character being debated over on Reddit, with one fan asking: "Why make such a big deal about banishing Finn from the family and him swearing revenge on Duke for it to literally go nowhere."

"I think he will be the main antagonist in the next peaky blinders show," wrote a second fan under a recent discussion on the topic, while another said there was 'nothing stopping' him showing up in the spin off.

I think he might not be in this film, but if they have any spin-offs he will look to potentially make a comeback and take over the gang which could prove to be a villain story, but depending on if the actor for Finn wants to return," added a fourth.