The flat caps are officially back, but the faces under them are looking a little different. Netflix just dropped the first look at Charlie Heaton in the upcoming Peaky Blinders sequel series, and if you were worried the Shelby DNA might skip a generation, the piercing blue gaze in the promo shot says otherwise. The Stranger Things actor is trading the Upside Down for the gritty, soot-stained streets of 1950s Birmingham, taking on one of the most pivotal roles in the franchise's history.
Charlie Heaton plays Charles Shelby, the legitimate son of Tommy Shelby and Grace Shelby, in the upcoming Peaky Blinders sequel series. Set in the 1950s, the character is a WWII veteran attempting to distance himself from the Shelby family's criminal empire while grappling with the heavy burden of his father’s legacy.
The New Face of the Shelby Empire: Charlie Heaton as Charles
The transition from Stranger Things actor to a leading man in the Shelby clan is a massive pivot for Heaton. For years, we’ve watched him play the sensitive, camera-clutching Jonathan Byers, but his first-look image as Charles Shelby suggests a much harder edge. Clad in a period-accurate overcoat with a look that screams "I’ve seen things," Heaton is clearly leaning into the haunted veteran archetype that his father, Tommy, pioneered after the first World War.
One detail that has the group chats buzzing? The eyes. Heaton appears to be wearing blue contact lenses to match the iconic, icy stare of Cillian Murphy. It’s a small touch, but it signals that Steven Knight’s new series is doubling down on the "blood is destiny" theme. Charles is no longer the little boy caught in the crossfire of his parents' ambitions; he’s a man who has survived the 1940s and is trying to find a version of "normality" that doesn't involve racketeering or razor blades.
Who is Charles Shelby? Character History and WWII Service
To understand where Charles is going, we have to look at where he’s been. In the original BBC One drama, Charles was the "golden child," the son of Tommy and his one true love, Grace. After Grace’s tragic death, Charles’s upbringing was... complicated, to say the least. He was raised in the shadow of a grieving, increasingly paranoid father and eventually found a mother figure in Lizzie Shelby.
In the Charles Shelby Season 6 recap, we remember him choosing to leave with Lizzie, effectively turning his back on Tommy’s world. However, the timeline of the new series reveals a crucial missing chapter: the Charles Shelby WWII service record. We now know that Charles spent the war fighting "behind enemy lines," a detail that suggests he inherited his father’s tactical brilliance and appetite for danger, even if he hates to admit it.
The 10-year time jump from the events of the Netflix movie, The Immortal Man, puts us firmly in the 1950s. While Alfie Thomas Bland portrayed a younger version of the character in that film, Heaton’s version is the definitive "adult" Charles. He is a man who has seen the horrors of the front and returned to a Birmingham that is trying to rebuild itself, all while the Shelby name remains both a blessing and a curse.
The Recasting of Duke Shelby: Jamie Bell Joins the Fray
While Heaton is the headline, the other major shakeup in the Peaky Blinders sequel series cast is the arrival of Jamie Bell. In a move that has sparked endless debate on Reddit and Twitter, Bell is taking over the role of Duke Shelby, Tommy’s "other" son. If Charles is the legitimate heir who wants out, Duke is the wild, illegitimate son who was brought into the fold to do the dirty work.
The Jamie Bell Duke Shelby casting replaces Barry Keoghan, who played the character in The Immortal Man movie. While fans are naturally bummed to lose Keoghan’s chaotic energy, Bell brings a seasoned, gritty intensity that fits the 1950s vibe perfectly. The dynamic between the half-brothers is set to be the emotional core of the show: Charles is the soldier trying to go straight, while Duke is the heir apparent to the darker side of the Shelby family legacy.
The "blood vs. choice" narrative is peaking here. Can Charles truly sever ties when his own brother is knee-deep in the family business? The tension between these two—one representing the light Tommy wanted for his children, the other representing the darkness Tommy couldn't escape—is the "brutal contest" the official logline hints at.
Setting the Scene: 1950s Birmingham and the 'Mythical' Rebuild
This isn't the smoky, industrial wasteland of the 1920s anymore. Birmingham 1950s is a city in the throes of massive change. We're talking about the post-WWII Birmingham reconstruction era—the beginning of slum clearances and the birth of the modern city. But Steven Knight has promised that this series will have "mythical dimensions," suggesting a tone that leans more into the legendary status of the Shelbys rather than just gritty realism.
The 1950s setting allows the show to explore the "rebuilding" of the UK, both physically and socially. While the rest of the country was looking forward to the Coronation and the swinging sixties, the Shelbys were likely figuring out how to pivot their empire from traditional racketeering to the more corporate, political corruption of the mid-century. The series will reportedly explore this through a "mythical" lens, perhaps treating the Shelby name like a ghost story that haunts the new, shiny Birmingham.
The Digbeth Connection
Production is currently underway at Digbeth Loc Studios, Knight’s own state-of-the-art facility in the heart of Birmingham. This brings the production back to its roots, literally filming in the areas where the real Peaky Blinders once operated. The involvement of Kudos production and Garrison Drama ensures that the high-prestige aesthetic that won the show a 2018 BAFTA remains intact.
Production Details: Two Series, One Vision
For those worried this is just a one-off special, take a breath. Netflix has already committed to two series, each consisting of six episodes. This gives the story plenty of room to breathe, allowing the Charlie Heaton Peaky Blinders era to establish its own identity separate from the original run.
The supporting cast is equally stacked. We have Lashana Lynch (No Time to Die) and Jessica Brown Findlay (Downton Abbey) joining the ensemble. While their specific roles are under wraps, rumors suggest they may play key figures in the new political landscape of 1950s England. There’s also the lingering question of Lizzie Shelby—will she return to see the man Charles has become? And of course, the shadow of Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) looms large. Even if he only appears in flashbacks or as a "ghost" figure, his influence is the gravity that holds this entire universe together.
Key Takeaways
- Charlie Heaton is officially Charles Shelby, Tommy’s eldest son and a WWII veteran.
- Jamie Bell replaces Barry Keoghan as Duke Shelby, Charles's half-brother.
- The series is set in 1950s Birmingham, a decade after the events of The Immortal Man.
- The plot focuses on Charles trying to live a "normal" life while the Shelby family legacy pulls him back in.
- The production has a two-series order (12 episodes total) and is filming at Digbeth Loc Studios.
- The tone is described as having "mythical dimensions" amidst the post-war reconstruction of the UK.
The Verdict: Can You Ever Escape Your Blood?
The Peaky Blinders universe has always been a tragedy disguised as a gangster epic. By centering the sequel on Charles—the boy Tommy tried so hard to protect from the "black shirt" life—Steven Knight is asking the ultimate question: is the Shelby curse genetic? With Charlie Heaton bringing a new level of brooding intensity to the role, the 1950s chapter of this story looks like it might be even more haunting than the first. We're looking at a release date likely in late 2025 or early 2026, and honestly, the wait is already feeling like a sentence in Winson Green. Stay tuned as more details emerge from the set in Birmingham.
