The Immortal Man Return Came With A Massive New Divisive Twist

One version of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man would have brought back Tom Hardy as Alfie Solomons, though with a Sixth Sense-like twist.

Following the hit release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man on Netflix, series creator and film writer Steven Knight revealed some plot points that ultimately didn’t make it into the 2026 follow-up. That includes the return of Tom Hardy as the fan-favorite character Alfie Solomons, the leader of a Jewish gang from Camden Town who originally debuted in Peaky Blinders season 2.

Though Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man‘s cast featured several returning series characters alongside Cillian Murphy’s Tommy Shelby, his rival and occasional ally Alfie wasn’t one of them. Alfie last appeared in Peaky Blinders‘ series finale, at which point Tommy helped the Camden Town gang seize more control over the criminal underworld in Boston after Alfie was revealed to have survived Tommy shooting him in season 4’s last episode.

However, Steven Knight almost completely rewrote the context of Alfie’s twist of fate for The Immortal Man. Knight disclosed to The Hollywood Reporter that he had an idea to bring Alfie back and reveal that he actually did die in Peaky Blinders‘ season 4 finale. Since only Tommy had seen Alfie since shooting him in season 4, The Immortal Man would have retconned their seasons 5 and 6 scenes as Tommy actually seeing Alfie’s ghost:

Steven Knight: “I had an idea, which I haven’t really spoken about. Ever since he was shot on the beach at Margate [in season four], you’ve only ever seen Tommy and Alfie together alone. I thought, ‘Maybe [Alfie] appears, and we realize he’s been dead all that time.’ Now, I nearly did that, and I didn’t do it, but that was a thought.”

If Hardy had returned with this twist reveal, it would be far from the first time that Tommy has been secretly haunted by the ghost of someone he killed or whose death he feels responsible for. After her death in season 3, Tommy continued to be haunted by visions of his wife Grace, with The Immortal Man also continuing to feature his daughter Ruby’s ghost.

Considering half of Alfie’s face was blown off by Tommy shooting him in season 4, Hardy’s subsequent returns with his reconstructed appearance already gave off a ghostly image. Alfie essentially was a ghost upon his last cameo in Peaky Blinders season 6’s finale, operating from the shadows with the rest of the world believing him to be dead.

As such, if Alfie were to have been revealed as dead throughout seasons 5 and 6 in The Immortal Man, it wouldn’t be incongruent with his most recent appearances. Rather, it would go to support how deeply internalized Tommy’s traumas and approach to dealing with guilt over his actions had been in the years leading up to his self-imposed exile.

With Tommy dying in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man‘s ending, the movie brings a clear end to an era for this world’s gangsters. As such, it seems unlikely that there will be another chance to see Tom Hardy’s Alfie Solomons again, whether he’s dead or alive.

Since Netflix’s upcoming Peaky Blinders sequel series will be set in 1953, over a decade after Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man and almost two decades after the original series finale, the chances aren’t looking favorable to see Hardy’s Alfie return. However, it’s still possible that the Camden Town gang will turn, perhaps seeing an alliance forged between the new generation of Peaky Blinders leaders and Alfie’s gang successors.