Why Barry Keoghan Replaced Conrad Khan As Duke Shelby In Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man

"Peaky Blinders" may be over, but the Shelby family carries on. Netflix is bringing the property back this month with "Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man," which figures to be a send off for Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby (who headed up all six seasons of "Peaky Blinders"). In fact, "Peaky Blinders" season 6 was just a dry run for the movie, which sees Tommy at odds with his son Duke, a character who was played in the show by Conrad Khan.

However, a different actor brings the Shelby son to life in "The Immortal Man," with Barry Keoghan ("Eternals," "Saltburn") having assumed the role for the film. But why the change? In an interview with Digital Spy, "Peaky Blinders" creator Steven Knight largely chalked it up to the time jump between "Peaky Blinders" season 6 and the film, though he acknowledged there were other factors to consider as well. Here's what he had to say about it:

"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 realize it couldn't have been anybody else. It could only have been him because every box is ticked, plus new boxes that he creates are ticked. To see Barry and Cillian either side of a bar drinking whiskey and looking at each other and not even saying anything is just magnificent."

Early critic reactions to "Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man" have been far and away positive, so this was clearly a solid choice. That's not to imply anything negative about Khan, but he was no longer age-appropriate, given the six-year jump between the "Peaky Blinders" finale and "The Immortal Man." Keoghan simply fit the bill for the job.

It's not hard to see why Barry Keoghan was seen as the right fit. He's an actor whose stock continues to be on the rise, making him a fitting addition to a property already loaded with impressive names (so much so there are several famous actors you've likely forgotten were even on "Peaky Blinders").

Likewise, this is a full-circle thing for Keoghan, as he's always wanted to be a part of this franchise. Speaking last December with Empire, he explained that he'd long wanted to be a part of the "Peaky Blinders" universe, but it never worked out until now:

"I'd always wanted to be part of it. But the schedules never worked, or I didn't fit the description of what they were looking for."

When he was asked, it was a no-brainer. "I said, 'Of course, bro. At the drop of a hat,'" Keoghan recalled. "I was like, 'Freakin' yeah. Anything to work with yourself again.'"

Keoghan won't be slowing down anytime soon, either. In addition to playing drummer Ringo Starr in director Sam Mendes' upcoming Beatles movie biopics, Keoghan may yet return as the Joker following his brief appearance in "The Batman."

The "Immortal Man" synopsis reads as follows:

Birmingham, 1940. Amidst the chaos of WWII, Tommy Shelby is driven back from a self-imposed exile to face his most destructive reckoning yet. With the future of the family and the country at stake, Tommy must face his own demons, and choose whether to confront his legacy, or burn it to the ground. By order of the Peaky Blinders ...

"Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man" arrives on Netflix on March 20, 2026.