Key Insights

• Cillian Murphy’s Career: He is renowned for his role as J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s 2023 film.
• Peaky Blinders Impact: Murphy’s portrayal of Thomas Shelby in Peaky Blinders significantly contributed to the show’s success.
• Upcoming Projects: He is set to star in Damien Chazelle’s upcoming drama film.
• Legacy Sequel: Murphy reprised his role in the sequel to 28 Days Later, titled The Bone Temple.

Cillian Murphy has long been one of the most talented actors working in Hollywood, but there are only a few roles for which he’s best known. One of his most notable roles in recent years was his portrayal of J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s 2023 epic, which earned him his first Academy Award. He had worked with Nolan before on his Batman trilogy, led by Christian Bale, playing Scarecrow in the first movie, then stepping back into a much smaller role in the trilogy’s final two installments. Many fans also know Murphy from one of his breakout roles as Jim in 28 Days Later, the hit horror film that returned last year with a legacy sequel that received critical acclaim. Murphy briefly reprised his role as Jim in the sequel to 28 Years Later, The Bone Temple, which premiered this January.

However, another of Murphy’s most famous roles has been Thomas Shelby in the hit crime thriller series Peaky Blinders. Murphy played the brutal gangster across all six seasons of the show, which ended in 2022. Peaky Blinders returned last week with a sequel movie, The Immortal Man, co-starring Rebecca Ferguson, Barry Keoghan, and more. Now that The Immortal Man is out in the world, Cillian Murphy has officially left Peaky Blinders behind for good. He’s even been tapped to star in Damien Chazelle’s next movie, which is reportedly going to be a drama set in a prison. James Bond and Knives Out franchise star Daniel Craig, as well as The Fabelmans star Michelle Williams, are also reportedly involved in the cast. Details about the film are being kept under wraps for now, but the first image of Murphy alongside The Buccaneers alum Mia Threapleton on the set has surfaced online, sparking even more intrigue about his next project.

What Does This Mean for the Future of ‘Peaky Blinders’?

Cillian Murphy’s moving on from Peaky Blinders means the franchise will now have to find another star to put at its center. Murphy alone isn’t what made Peaky Blinders such a success, but it’s impossible to argue that the show wouldn’t have been successful with someone else playing Tommy Shelby. It’s been confirmed that Netflix is developing a new Peaky Blinders sequel series set to be released in the next few years, but details about the project are still being ironed out.

Check out The Immortal Man and Peaky Blinders on Netflix and stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of Cillian Murphy’s next project.