After years of speculation, the movie The Immortal Man ultimately answers fans’ questions about the fate of Arthur Shelby. Arthur died before the events of this film; however, he was still alive during the series finale. In one of the first, and most emotionally charged, scenes in the movie, Tommy goes to visit Arthur’s grave. This tombstone is engraved with the words “in the bleak midwinter,” which has been a frequent phrase in this series, connecting it to death and acceptance.
The reveal of the passing of Arthur Shelby plays a significant role in the overall story arc within The Immortal Man in terms of how the loss of Arthur will impact the overall tone of the motion picture. Furthermore, because Arthur was one of the main characters from the previous seasons, the removal of his character is ever-present throughout the movie. As a result, fans get an answer on how The Immortal Man handles Arthur’s character after the completion of the series.
How does The Immortal Man explain Arthur Shelby’s death?
In The Immortal Man, it is first suggested that Arthur may have taken his own life. This is because the people around Tommy believed this version of events at the time. But the full truth is slowly revealed as the story moves forward. Tommy explains that one night, Arthur came to him asking for money. This led to a heated fight between the brothers. After the argument, a car chase started on a foggy night. The film shows the scene from far away. Only the vehicles are shown, so the actor who played Arthur did not need to be present.
At first, Tommy claims the death happened because of a crash and a struggle over a gun. This version makes it seem as though Arthur’s death was an accident. But later in the film, Tommy shares what really happened. In a painful confession, he explains that he killed his own brother. He says he did it because he wanted to be free of Arthur, and that this truth has stayed heavy on him ever since.
The Immortal Man uses this moment to shape Tommy’s story in the years after the show. Arthur’s absence becomes part of Tommy’s guilt and becomes one of the reasons he moves the way he does in the film. This gives the story a very personal tone, because Arthur had always been one of the closest people in Tommy’s life.
Paul Anderson, who portrays Arthur in the series, spoke about his absence from the film. He has confirmed in an interview with LADbible that he just let the team go along with the story, and based on what he had heard, people have thought about how one day Arthur would die in the storyline; he has an understanding as to why the writers wrote it that way. Within the storyline, even though Arthur was a rough character and hard to deal with at times, fans loved him, and he has been shocked at the amount of love for Arthur from the audience.
Anderson’s agent told Page Six that he still has “love and respect” for the Peaky Blinders family, and that he is in good standing with Steve Knight, creator of the show, and has a great deal of respect for Cillian Murphy, who played Tommy. The agent stated that Anderson now intends to pursue other projects, including the show The Gray House, which is currently available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video and is performing well.
Why was Arthur written out, and how does the story of The Immortal Man move forward?
Real-life events also played a role, with Arthur being dropped from The Immortal Man. Anderson pled guilty in 2024 to having unlawful substances and was fined by the courts for it, making any chance of a return to the franchise uncertain. Due to these events, the filmmakers decided to write Arthur out rather than replace him or do any digital processes. This allowed the filmmakers to continue with the emotional weight of the character while staying true to the direction they chose for the movie.
The film further explores Tommy Shelby’s experience and what happens to him after the loss of some of his family, including Arthur. The film will introduce a number of new characters, such as Barry Keoghan’s role as Tommy’s previously unknown son, Duke. In addition, Netflix officially announced that there is a spinoff series in development with no leads announced yet.
For now, The Immortal Man gives fans the long-awaited answer to what happened to Arthur Shelby. His loss forms a major emotional point in Tommy’s life and sets the tone for the rest of the film.
Edited by Sohini Biswas